JP7464994B2 - Gaming Machines - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to gaming machines such as pachinko machines.

Conventionally, gaming machines are known that can execute a display effect using a display device when a gaming ball enters a starting hole (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

In these types of gaming machines, it is possible to create display effects using character images, patterns, etc.

JP 2016-202930 A JP 2016-198339 A JP 2016-182376 A

However, even with the gaming machines described above, there was still room for improvement in terms of technology to enhance the enjoyment of the game.

The present invention was made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to improve the entertainment value of the game.

The present invention has been made to solve at least some of the problems described above, and can be realized as the following application examples. Note that the reference symbols and supplementary explanations in parentheses in this section indicate the correspondence with the embodiments described below in order to aid in understanding the present invention, and do not limit the present invention in any way.

[Application example 1]
A symbol display means capable of displaying the variation and stoppage of symbols;
a sound generating means capable of generating a specific melody;
A display means for displaying an image corresponding to a currently selected rendering mode among a plurality of switchable rendering modes;
A gaming machine comprising:
The specific melody starts when the pattern starts to change, and the specific melody ends when the pattern stops after the pattern changes.
said sound generating means being capable of repeatedly generating said specific melody;
The symbol display means may stop the symbol when the first specific melody that started with the start of the symbol variation ends, or may continue the variation of the symbol when the first specific melody that started with the start of the symbol variation ends and stop the symbol when the second or subsequent specific melody ends,
a sound output from the start to the end of the second or subsequent times of the specific melody is the same as a sound output from the start to the end of the first time of the specific melody,
the sound generating means is further capable of changing the melody of the specific melody in accordance with a currently selected presentation mode, and generating a melody different from the specific melody when the currently selected presentation mode is a specific presentation mode;
said symbol display means, when a currently selected presentation mode is said specific presentation mode, starts and stops the variation of said symbols regardless of the start and end of said other melody;
A gaming machine characterized by:

The present invention can increase the enjoyment of games.

FIG. FIG. A block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the main control board of the gaming machine. A block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the sub-control board of the gaming machine. FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining a main ROM and a main RAM. FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining a sub-ROM and a sub-RAM. 1 is a diagram for explaining various random numbers used in gaming machines. FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining judgment tables T1 to T4. An explanatory diagram of the jackpot type determination table T5. An explanatory diagram of the fluctuation pattern determination table T6 during non-time-saving mode. An explanatory diagram of the fluctuation pattern determination table T6 during time-saving mode. This is an explanatory diagram of the electric chute opening pattern determination table T7. 13 is an explanatory diagram of the large prize opening pattern determination table T8. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram of a V opening/closing member opening pattern determination table T9. 13 is a flowchart of a main control process. 13 is a flowchart of a main-side timer interrupt process. 13 is a flowchart of a start port sensor detection process. This is a flowchart of the special chart 2 pre-judgment processing. This is a flowchart of the special diagram 1 pre-judgment processing. 13 is a flowchart of a normal operation process. 13 is a flowchart of a special action process. 13 is a flowchart of a special symbol waiting process. 13 is a flowchart of a jackpot determination process. This is a first flowchart of the variation pattern selection process. This is a second flowchart of the variation pattern selection process. This is a flowchart of processing during special pattern change. 13 is a flowchart of a special symbol determination process. 13 is a flowchart of a game status management process. 13 is a flowchart of a game status reset process. 13 is a flowchart of special electric device processing. 13 is a flowchart of a V-type opening/closing member operation process. 13 is a flowchart of a game status setting process. 13 is a flowchart of a V-area sensor detection process. This is a flowchart for processing the number of reserved balls. 13 is a flowchart showing a sub-control main process. 13 is a flowchart of a sub-side timer interrupt process. 13 is a flowchart of a received command analysis process. 13 is a flowchart of a pre-reading performance determination process. 10 is a diagram for explaining a configuration of a pre-determination information storage area; FIG. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram of a pre-reading performance pattern determination table T51. 13 is a flowchart of the variable performance start processing. An explanatory diagram of the core performance pattern determination table T52. 13 is an explanatory diagram of a chance-up effect pattern determination table T53. This is a flowchart of processing during variable performance. 13 is a flowchart of a display control process. An explanatory diagram illustrating the movement pattern of the first movable part 14. An explanatory diagram illustrating the second state of the first movable part 14. An explanatory diagram illustrating the second state of the second movable part 15. An explanatory diagram illustrating the second state of the frame movable part 69. 13 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of the display presentation of a sub-display screen 64. FIG. A diagram to explain the pattern appearance change performance A. A diagram to explain the pattern appearance change presentation B. A diagram to explain the pattern appearance change presentation C. This is an explanatory diagram of the presentation mode suggestion image winning notification presentation A. This is an explanatory diagram of the presentation mode suggestion image winning notification presentation B. An explanatory diagram of the presentation mode suggestion image winning notification presentation C. A diagram to explain the moving pattern mode change performance A. A diagram to explain the moving pattern mode change presentation B. A diagram to explain the moving pattern mode change presentation C. A diagram to explain the losing pattern movement performance A. A diagram to explain the losing pattern movement presentation B. A diagram to explain the losing pattern movement presentation C. A diagram to explain the pattern number difference change performance A. A diagram to explain the pattern number difference change effect B. A diagram to explain the pattern number difference change performance C. A diagram to explain the superimposed performance patterns A and B. A diagram to explain the superimposed performance patterns C and D. A diagram to explain the overlapping performance patterns E and F. A diagram to explain the pattern change effects A and B. A diagram to explain the performance pattern change performances C and D. A diagram to explain the performance pattern change effects E and F. A diagram to explain pattern posture change performance A. A diagram to explain pattern posture change presentation B. A diagram to explain the pattern posture change presentation C. A diagram to explain band image display effects A and B. A diagram to explain band image display effects C and D. A diagram to explain band image display effects E and F. A diagram to explain special trajectory change effects A and B. A diagram to explain special trajectory change effects C and D. A diagram to explain special trajectory change effects E and F. A diagram to explain winning pattern movement performances A and B. A diagram to explain winning pattern movement performances C and D. A diagram to explain the winning pattern movement effects E and F. A diagram to explain pattern appearance change performances A and B. A diagram to explain the pattern appearance change performance C. A diagram to explain the pattern mode change performance D. A diagram to explain the group preview consecutive performances A and B. A diagram to explain the group preview consecutive performances C and D. A diagram to explain the group preview consecutive performances E and F. A diagram to explain multiple image movement performances A and B. A diagram to explain multiple image movement performances C and D. A diagram to explain multiple image movement performances E and F. A diagram to explain presentation mode selection presentation A. A figure to explain presentation mode selection presentation B. A figure to explain presentation mode selection presentation C. This is a diagram to explain the separation and combination performance A of the performance patterns. This is a diagram to explain the separation and combination performance B of the performance patterns. This is a diagram to explain the separation and combination performance C of the performance patterns. This is an explanatory diagram of character suggestion performance A that spans multiple changes. This is an explanatory diagram of character suggestion performance B that spans multiple changes. An explanatory diagram of character suggestion performance C that spans multiple changes. FIG. 11 is a first diagram for explaining melody-related effects. FIG. 2 is a second diagram for explaining melody-related effects. FIG. 3 is a third diagram for explaining melody-related effects.

First Embodiment
1. Structure of the gaming machine Fig. 1 is a front view of a gaming machine 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. In the following description, the left-right direction of the gaming machine 1 will be described as coinciding with the left-right direction as seen by a player facing the gaming machine 1. The front direction of the gaming machine 1 will be described as the direction from the gaming machine 1 toward the player, and the rear direction of the gaming machine 1 will be described as the direction from the player toward the gaming machine 1.

The gaming machine 1 is a pachinko gaming machine that shoots gaming balls based on the player's shooting operation, and when a gaming ball wins a specific winning device, a predetermined number of gaming balls is paid out to the player based on the winning. The gaming machine 1 comprises a gaming machine frame 50 and a gaming board 2, and the gaming board 2 is attached to the inside of the gaming machine frame 50. In addition to a front frame (front frame portion) 53, the gaming machine frame 50 comprises an outer frame (base frame portion) that forms the outer hull of the gaming machine, and an inner frame to which the gaming board 2 is attached inside the outer frame. The front frame (front frame portion) 53 is a vertically rectangular unit located on the front side of the outer frame and inner frame, and includes a handle 60, a ball supply tray (upper tray) 61, a surplus ball receiving tray (lower tray) 62, a performance button 63, a sub-display screen 64 (right sub-display screen 64R, left sub-display screen 64L, and upper sub-display screen 64U), a sword member 65, a frame lamp 66, a speaker 67, and a frame movable body 69. An opening is formed in the center of the front frame 53, and the play area 3 of the game board 2 can be seen through the opening.

The handle 60 is located at the lower end of the right side of the front frame 53, and launches the game ball with a launch strength according to the rotation angle. On the right and left sides of the handle 60, a movable frame movable body 69 (also called a frame movable gadget 69) is provided, which is a movable so-called gimmick. The frame movable body 69 is configured so that two members arranged on the left and right sides of the handle 60 can move left and right in the left and right directions. Each of the two members is formed of a flexible flat plate-like member, and is configured so that the main surface approaches and moves away from the handle 60. The frame movable body 69 is normally stationary at a retreat position (FIG. 1) away from the handle 60 on the left and right sides of the handle 60, and can move (advance) from the retreat position toward the handle 60 so as to approach each other and stop at a position where it touches the handle 60. When in the advance position, the frame movable body 69 touches the handle 60 or the right hand of the player operating the handle 60.

The ball supply tray (upper tray) 61 is provided below the front frame 53 and stores game balls. The surplus ball receiving tray (lower tray) 62 is located below the ball supply tray (upper tray) 61 and stores game balls that cannot be accommodated in the ball supply tray 61. The performance button 63 is an operation unit located near the ball supply tray (upper tray) 61 and is operated (pressed) by the player during performances that are performed as the game progresses. A vibration motor is located inside the performance button 63, and the button itself is configured to vibrate up, down, left, and right depending on the performance. The sword member 65 is an operation unit imitating the shape of a sword and can be pushed downward by the player during performances that are performed as the game progresses. The sword member 65 is configured to be able to perform a first operation of pushing the entire sword member 65 downward and a second operation of pushing the entire sword member 65 upward. The sub-display screen 64 is a screen of a liquid crystal display device, and includes a right sub-display screen 64R, a left sub-display screen 64L, and an upper sub-display screen 64U. The right sub-display screen 64R is provided on the right side of the front frame 53, the left sub-display screen 64L is provided on the left side of the front frame 53, and the upper sub-display screen 64U is provided on the upper side of the front frame 53. The right sub-display screen 64R and the left sub-display screen 64L are arranged in a pair via the game board 2. The upper sub-display screen 64U is arranged above the game board 2. The right sub-display screen 64R, the left sub-display screen 64L, and the upper sub-display screen 64U are arranged to surround the opening of the front frame 53. The sub-display screen 64 may be a liquid crystal display device, or may be another image display device such as an organic EL display device, a plasma display, a projector, or a dot matrix. The frame lamp 66 includes a right frame lamp and a left frame lamp, and is arranged above the front frame 53 to perform light-emitting effects during play. The right frame lamp is a diagonal light-emitting element located between the upper sub-display screen 64U and the right sub-display screen 64R. The left frame lamp is a diagonal light-emitting element located between the upper sub-display screen 64U and the left sub-display screen 64L. The speakers 67 are located at the upper left and upper right of the front frame 53, and provide sound effects during play.

The game board 2 includes a game area 3, a rail member 4, a board lamp 5, an image display device 7, a first board movable body 14, a second board movable body 15, a fixed winning device (center) 19, a normal variable winning device (electric chute) 22, a gate (through chucker) 28, a first large winning device (first attacker) 31, a second large winning device (second attacker) 36, a large winning opening start port 17, a normal winning port 27 (normal winning port 27), an outlet 16, and displays 40.

The play area 3 is an area where game balls launched by operating the handle 60 flow down, and has multiple game nails protruding therein to guide the game balls. The rail member 4 is disposed at the left end of the play area 3, and guides the game balls launched by operating the handle 60 toward the top of the play area 3. The board lamp 5 is disposed on the rear side of the play area 3, and irradiates light from the rear side of the play area 3. Here, some of the board lamps 5 are connected to the right frame lamp and the left frame lamp, and are configured to have a continuous shape and light emission.

The image display device 7 is provided near the center of the play area 3 and has a display screen 7a. The image display device 7 may be a liquid crystal display device, or may be another image display device such as an organic EL display device, a plasma display, a projector, or a dot matrix. The display screen 7a of the image display device 7 has a performance pattern display area in which performance patterns (decorative patterns) 8L, 8C, and 8R are variably displayed (also called variable display), a reserved image display area in which reserved images 9A and 9B are displayed, and a reserved digestion image display area (respective reserved display area) in which a reserved digestion image 9C is displayed. The reserved images 9A and 9B are images that represent a reserved play, and are also called reserved icons 9A and 9B. The reserved digestion image 9C is an image that represents the reserved play, and is also called the reserved image 9C, the reserved icon 9C, the variable icon 9C, or the variable icon 9C. The reserved icon 9C may also be simply called a reserved icon.

The effect symbol display area includes three symbol display areas, "left", "center", and "right". The left symbol display area displays a left effect symbol (left decorative symbol) 8L. The center symbol display area displays a center effect symbol (center decorative symbol) 8C. The right symbol display area displays a right effect symbol (right decorative symbol) 8R. The effect symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R are composed of a plurality of symbols representing numbers, for example, from "1" to "9". The variable display of the effect symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R is synchronized with the variable display of the first special symbol and the second special symbol, which will be described later. The image display device 7 can display the results of the variable display of the first special symbol and the second special symbol displayed by the first special symbol display device 41a and the second special symbol display device 41b, which will be described later, (the result of the big win lottery) in an easy-to-understand manner to the player, by the combination of the effect symbols displayed in the left, center, and right symbol display areas.

For example, if a jackpot is won, the performance symbols are displayed as a repeat number such as "777". If a loss occurs, the performance symbols are displayed as a random number such as "637". This makes it easier for the player to grasp the progress of the game. The player can grasp the jackpot lottery result from the first special symbol display 41a and the second special symbol display 41b, as well as the image display device 7. The position of the symbol display area does not have to be fixed. In addition, the variable display of the performance symbols may be a vertical scroll or may be in other forms. The combination of performance symbols to be displayed according to each lottery result is not limited to the above and can be set arbitrarily. Hereinafter, the performance of displaying the performance symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R will be called "variable performance of performance symbols", "variable performance of decorative symbols", or simply "variable performance" or "variable display". In addition, this decorative pattern change performance counts the performance during the period from when the special pattern starts changing to when it stops (also called the special pattern change period) as one change performance (one cycle of change performance). Therefore, even if the decorative pattern is temporarily stopped during the period from when the special pattern starts changing to when it stops, the temporary stop performance is included in the decorative pattern change performance.

The image display device 7 can display on the display screen 7a not only the performance symbol changing performance, but also a jackpot performance performed in parallel with a jackpot game (an example of a special game), a demo performance for waiting for customers, and the like. In the performance symbol changing performance, in addition to the performance symbol, performance images such as background images and character images may also be displayed. Furthermore, the image display device 7 may display on the display screen 7a, in addition to the performance symbol, an identification display (fourth symbol, not shown) that can suggest that a special symbol is changing or the result of a lottery for a special symbol. The identification display (fourth symbol) may be displayed by a light-emitting device such as an LED provided in the game area 3.

The reserved image display area includes a first reserved display area that displays reserved images 9A according to the number of reserved first special symbols, which will be described later, and a second reserved display area that displays reserved images 9B according to the number of reserved second special symbols, which will be described later. By displaying the reserved images 9A and 9B, the number of reserved first special symbols displayed on the reserved first special symbol display 43a, which will be described later, and the number of reserved second special symbols displayed on the reserved second special symbol display 43b, which will be described later, can be displayed in an easy-to-understand manner to the player. The reserved consumption image display area includes a reserved consumption display area that displays reserved consumption image 9C. The reserved consumption image 9C corresponds to the currently changing performance pattern (performance pattern 8L, 8C, 8R) on the display screen 7a or the display screen 7b, and by displaying the reserved consumption image 9C, it can be displayed in an easy-to-understand manner to the player that the reserved first special symbol or reserved second special symbol is consumed ("reserved special symbol consumption" described later).

On the left side of the image display device 7, a first movable board 14 (also called the first movable gadget 14), which is a movable so-called gimmick, is provided. The first movable gadget 14 is configured as a vertically long rod-shaped member that can move left and right in front of the image display device 7. The first movable gadget 14 is normally stationary in a retracted position (Figure 1) on the left side of the image display device 7, and can move (advance) from the retracted position toward the right end of the display screen 7a and stop at any advanced position in front of the display screen 7a. The first movable gadget 14 is formed to be approximately the same length as the vertical direction of the image display device 7, and in the advanced position, it covers a part of the image display device 7 from top to bottom.

A second movable board 15 (also called the second movable gadget 15), which is a movable so-called gimmick, is provided above the image display device 7. The second movable gadget 15 is configured with a rectangular member (decorative part) marked "OARO" that can move up and down. The second movable gadget 15 is normally stationary in a retracted position (Figure 1) above the image display device 7, and can move (advance) downward from the retracted position toward the center of the display screen 7a and come to rest at an advanced position in front of the display screen 7a. The second movable gadget 15 covers a part of the image display device 7 when stopped at the advanced position.

A stage section 11 is formed below the image display device 7. The stage section 11 has a shape that can guide game balls rolling on the upper surface of the stage section 11 to a first starting hole 20 described below. A warp section 12 is provided at the lower left of the image display device 7. The warp section 12 has an entrance section through which game balls flow and an exit section through which game balls flow out, and causes game balls that flow in from the entrance section to flow out from the exit section to the stage section 11.

The fixed winning device (center) 19 is disposed below the image display device 7 in the game area 3, and is equipped with a first starting hole (first starting winning hole, first ball hole, fixed starting hole) 20, which always allows the game ball to enter with a constant ease. The entry of a game ball into the first starting hole 20 triggers the drawing of a lottery for a first special symbol (jackpot lottery). In other words, the entry of a game ball into the first starting hole 20 triggers the acquisition of a jackpot random number and the like, as well as the determination of a jackpot.

The normal variable winning device (electric chute) 22 is disposed below the first starting hole 20 in the game area 3, and includes a second starting hole (second starting winning hole, second ball entry hole, variable starting hole) 21. The entry of a game ball into the second starting hole 21 triggers the drawing of a lottery for a second special symbol (a big win lottery). The electric chute 22 includes a movable member 23 in front of the second starting hole 21, and the second starting hole 21 is opened and closed by the operation of the movable member 23. The movable member 23 is driven by an electric chute solenoid 24 (FIG. 3). The second starting hole 21 is capable of receiving a game ball when the movable member 23 is in an open state. It is sufficient that the electric chute 22 allows a ball to enter the second starting hole 21 more easily when the movable member 23 is in an open state than when it is in a closed state, and may allow a ball to enter the second starting hole 21 when the movable member 23 is in a closed state.

The gate (through chucker) 28 is located above the first big prize device (first attacker) 31 in the game area 3, and is configured to allow the game ball to pass through. The passage of the game ball through the gate 28 triggers a normal pattern lottery that determines whether or not the electric chute 22 will open. In other words, the passage of the game ball through the gate 28 triggers the acquisition of a normal pattern random number (winning random number) and a win determination, etc.

Here, "special symbol lottery" refers to a process in which, when a game ball enters the first starting hole 20 or the second starting hole 21, a random number for determining the special symbol is obtained, and this obtained random number is compared with a value corresponding to a predetermined "jackpot" to determine whether or not there is a jackpot. The lottery result of this "jackpot" is not immediately notified to the player, but the first special symbol display device 41a or the second special symbol display device 41b described below displays a variable special symbol, and after a predetermined variable time has elapsed, the special symbol corresponding to the lottery result is displayed stationary (determined display), and the lottery result is notified to the player. The image display device 7 plays a pattern matching game in which the performance symbol is displayed in a variable manner in synchronization with the variable display of the special symbol, and this pattern matching game more effectively notifies the player of the lottery result of the jackpot.

"Drawing a normal pattern" refers to the process of acquiring a random number for determining the normal pattern when the gaming ball passes through gate 28, and comparing this acquired random number with a value corresponding to a predetermined "win" to determine whether or not there is a win. The result of the drawing for the normal pattern is also not immediately announced when the gaming ball passes through gate 28. Instead, a fluctuating display of the normal pattern is performed on normal pattern display 42 (described below), and after a predetermined fluctuating time has elapsed, the normal pattern corresponding to the lottery result is displayed as a confirmed one (lit or unlit), and the player is notified of the lottery result.

The first large prize winning device (first attacker, first special variable prize winning device) 31 is located above and to the right of the first starting hole 20 in the game area 3, and includes a first large prize winning hole (first special prize winning hole) 30, a V area 39, a non-V area 70, and a V opening and closing member 71. The first large prize winning hole 30 includes an opening and closing member (first special prize winning hole opening and closing member) 32 that allows or prevents the reception of game balls by a swing-type opening and closing action. The opening and closing member 32 is driven by a first large prize winning hole solenoid 33 (Figure 3). Game balls can enter the first large prize winning hole 30 when the opening and closing member 32 is in the open state.

The first large prize winning device 31 is equipped with a V area (specific area) 39, a V area sensor 39a (Figure 3), a non-V area (non-specific area) 70, a non-V area sensor 70a (Figure 3), a first large prize winning port sensor 30a (Figure 3), a V opening/closing member 71, and a V opening/closing member solenoid 73 (Figure 3). The V area (specific area) 39 and the non-V area (non-specific area) 70 are configured inside the first large prize winning device 31 as areas through which a game ball that has passed through the first large prize winning port 30 can pass. The first large prize winning port sensor 30a is disposed upstream of the V area 39 and the non-V area 70, and detects the entry of a game ball into the first large prize winning port 30. The V area sensor 39a is disposed in the V area 39, and detects the passage of a game ball into the V area 39. The non-V area sensor 70a is disposed in the non-V area 70 and detects the passage of the game ball into the non-V area 70. The V opening/closing member 71 distributes the game ball that has passed through the first large winning opening 30 to either the V area 39 or the non-V area 70. The V opening/closing member solenoid 73 drives the V opening/closing member 71. The V opening/closing member 71 is configured to rotate (clockwise and counterclockwise with respect to the game board 2), and when the V opening/closing member solenoid 73 is energized, it rotates counterclockwise from the origin position to distribute the game ball to the V area 39 in a first state (rotating state), and when the V opening/closing member solenoid 73 is not energized, it is located at the origin and distributes the game ball to the non-V area 70 in a second state (stopped state). In addition, the V-opening member 71 may be configured to move in a left-right direction with respect to the game board 2, as long as it has a function of distributing the game ball that has passed through the first large winning opening 30 to either the V area 39 or the non-V area 70, without being limited to rotational movement. That is, when the V-opening member solenoid 73 is energized, it is in a retreat state (first state) in which the game ball is distributed to the V area 39, and when the V-opening member solenoid 73 is not energized, it is in an advance state (second state) in which the game ball is distributed to the non-V area 70. In addition, in the gaming machine 1, the passage of the game ball into the V area 39 is a trigger for transition to a high probability state described later. In other words, the V area 39 is a probability variable operation port. On the other hand, the non-V area 70 is not a probability variable operation port. The first large winning device 31 of this embodiment further includes a first large winning device discharge sensor (not shown) that counts the number of game balls discharged from the first large winning device 31. The first big prize device discharge sensor is installed at the point where the V area 39 and the non-V area 70 join downstream, and counts the number of game balls that pass through the V area sensor 39a or the non-V area sensor 70a.

The second large prize winning device (second attacker, second special variable prize winning device) 36 is located above and to the right of the first large prize winning opening 30 in the game area 3, and is equipped with a second large prize winning opening (second special prize winning opening) 35. The second large prize winning opening 35 is equipped with an opening/closing member (second special prize winning opening opening/closing member, movable member) 37 that inhibits or allows the reception of game balls by swinging open and closed. The opening/closing member 37 is driven by a second large prize winning opening solenoid 38 (Figure 3). Game balls can enter the second large prize winning opening 35 when the opening/closing member 37 is in the open state.

The large prize opening start port 17 is located above the first large prize opening 30 in the game area 3, and the first large prize opening 30 opens when the game ball passes through. However, the game machine 1 does not have to be equipped with the large prize opening start port 17.

The general winning opening 27 is provided at the bottom of the play area 3. The outlet 16 is provided at the bottom of the play area 3, and ejects game balls that do not win at any of the winning openings out of the play area 3. The indicators 40 are located near the center of the right side of the play board 2. Details of the indicators 40 will be described later. The general winning opening 29 is located at the bottom right of the play area 3, adjacent to the right side of the first large winning opening 30.

The game area 3 has a left game area 3A on the left side of the center in the left-right direction, and a right game area 3B on the right side. A hitting style in which the game ball is shot so that it flows down the left game area 3A is called a "left hit". On the other hand, a hitting style in which the game ball is shot so that it flows down the right game area 3B is called a "right hit". The game machine 1 is configured so that a left hit can aim for winning at the first starting hole 20. On the other hand, a right hit can aim for passing through the gate 28 and winning at the second starting hole 21, the first large winning hole 30, and the second large winning hole 35.

Figure 2 is an enlarged view of the display devices 40. The display devices 40 include a first special symbol display 41a, a second special symbol display 41b, a normal symbol display 42, a first special symbol reserved display 43a, a second special symbol reserved display 43b, and a normal symbol reserved display 44. The first special symbol display 41a variably displays the first special symbol. The second special symbol display 41b variably displays the second special symbol. The normal symbol display 42 variably displays the normal symbol. The first special symbol reserved display 43a displays the number of reserved activations (first special symbol reserved) of the first special symbol display 41a. The second special symbol reserved display 43b displays the number of reserved activations (second special symbol reserved) of the second special symbol display 41b. The regular symbol reserve display 44 displays the number of reserved activations (regular symbol reserves) stored in the regular symbol display 42. The variable display of the first special symbol is triggered by the entry of a game ball into the first starting hole 20. The variable display of the second special symbol is triggered by the entry of a game ball into the second starting hole 21. Hereinafter, the first special symbol and the second special symbol are collectively referred to as "special symbols." The first special symbol display 41a and the second special symbol display 41b are collectively referred to as "special symbol display 41." The first special symbol reserve display 43a and the second special symbol reserve display 43b are collectively referred to as "special symbol reserve display 43."

The special symbol display 41 notifies the result of a lottery (special symbol winning lottery, jackpot lottery) based on winning at the first start port 20 or the second start port 21 by displaying a special symbol (identification information) in a variable manner (variable display) and then displaying it in a stopped state. The special symbol (stopped symbol, special symbol derived and displayed as a display result of the variable display) that is stopped is one special symbol selected from a plurality of types of special symbols by the special symbol lottery. If the stopped symbol is a special symbol (jackpot symbol) of a predetermined jackpot stopping mode, a special game (jackpot game) is played in which the first jackpot opening 30 or the second jackpot opening 35 is opened in an opening pattern according to the type of jackpot symbol that is stopped and displayed (the type of jackpot that has been won). The opening patterns of the jackpot openings (first jackpot opening 30 and second jackpot opening 35) in the special game will be described later.

The special symbol display 41 is composed of eight LEDs arranged side by side, and displays a special symbol according to the result of the special symbol winning lottery depending on the lighting state of the LEDs. For example, if a big win (one of the multiple types of big wins described below) is won, the big win symbol is displayed with the first, second, fifth, and sixth LEDs from the left lit, as in "○○●●○○●●" (○: lit, ●: off). If it is a loss, a losing symbol is displayed with only the rightmost LED lit, as in "●●●●●●●○". A mode in which all LEDs are turned off as a losing symbol may be adopted. Before the special symbol is displayed in a stopped state, the special symbol is displayed in a variable display (variable display) for a predetermined variable time. The variable display mode may be, for example, each LED is lit so that light flows repeatedly from left to right. The variable display mode is not limited to the above mode, and can be any lighting mode as long as each LED is not displayed in a stopped state (light display in a specific mode). For example, the variable display mode may be all LEDs flashing at once.

In the gaming machine 1, when a game ball enters the first start hole 20 or the second start hole 21, the values (numerical information) of various random numbers such as the jackpot random number obtained for that entry are temporarily stored in the special pattern reservation memory area 85 (Fig. 5). Specifically, if the game ball enters the first start hole 20, it is stored in the first special pattern reservation memory area 85a (Fig. 5) as the first special pattern reservation, and if the game ball enters the second start hole 21, it is stored in the second special pattern reservation memory area 85b (Fig. 5) as the second special pattern reservation. There is an upper limit to the number of special pattern reservations that can be stored in each special pattern reservation memory area 85, and in this embodiment, the upper limit is four for both the first special pattern reservation memory area 85a and the second special pattern reservation memory area 85b. The special pattern reservation stored in the special pattern reservation memory area 85 is consumed when it becomes possible to variably display the special pattern based on the special pattern reservation. "Consuming the reserved special symbols" refers to determining the jackpot random number or the like corresponding to the reserved special symbols, and executing the variable display of the special symbols to show the result of the determination. Therefore, in the gaming machine 1, even if the variable display of the special symbols based on the winning of the game ball into the first starting hole 20 or the second starting hole 21 cannot be performed immediately after the winning, that is, even if a winning occurs during the variable display of the special symbols or during the execution of the special game, the right to the jackpot lottery for the winning can be reserved up to a predetermined number. The number of reserved special symbols is displayed on the reserved special symbol display 43. The first reserved special symbol display 43a and the second reserved special symbol display 43b are each composed of, for example, four LEDs. Each reserved special symbol display 43 displays the number of reserved special symbols by lighting the LEDs for the number of reserved special symbols.

The variable display of the normal symbol is triggered by the passage of the game ball through the gate 28. The normal symbol display 42 variably displays (varies) the normal symbol, and then displays it still to notify the result of the normal symbol lottery based on the passage of the game ball through the gate 28. The normal symbol that is displayed still (normal symbol stop symbol, normal symbol derived and displayed as the display result of the variable display) is one normal symbol selected from a plurality of normal symbols by the normal symbol lottery. If the normal symbol stop symbol is a specific normal symbol that has been determined in advance (a normal symbol in a predetermined stop mode, i.e., a normal winning symbol), an auxiliary game is played in which the second start hole 21 is opened in an opening pattern that corresponds to the current game state. The opening pattern of the second start hole 21 will be described later.

The normal pattern display 42 is composed of two LEDs, and displays a normal pattern according to the result of the normal pattern lottery depending on the lighting state of the LEDs. For example, if the lottery result is a win, a normal winning pattern with both LEDs lit is displayed as "○○" (○: lit, ●: off). If the lottery result is a loss, a normal loss pattern with only the right LED lit is displayed as "●○". A mode in which all LEDs are turned off as a normal loss pattern may be adopted. Before the normal pattern is displayed in a stopped state, the normal pattern is displayed in a predetermined change time. The mode of the change display may be, for example, both LEDs being lit alternately. The mode of the change display is not limited to the above mode, and can be any lighting mode, as long as each LED is not displayed in a stopped state (lighting display in a specific mode). For example, the mode of the change display may be all LEDs flashing at once.

In the gaming machine 1, when a game ball passes through the gate 28, the value of the normal pattern random number (winning random number) acquired for that passage is temporarily stored as a normal pattern reserve in the normal pattern reserve memory area 86 (Figure 5). There is an upper limit to the number of normal pattern reserves that can be stored in the normal pattern reserve memory area 86, and the upper limit in this embodiment is four. The normal pattern reserve stored in the normal pattern reserve memory area 86 is consumed when it becomes possible to variable display the normal pattern based on that normal pattern reserve. The consumption of the normal pattern reserve means determining the normal pattern random number (winning random number) corresponding to that normal pattern reserve and executing variable display of the normal pattern to show the result of the determination. Therefore, in the gaming machine 1, even if the variable display of the normal pattern based on the passage of the game ball through the gate 28 cannot be performed immediately after the passage, that is, even if a prize is won during the variable display of the normal pattern or during the execution of the auxiliary game, the right to draw the normal pattern for that passage can be reserved up to a predetermined number. The number of normal pattern reserves is displayed on the normal pattern reserve display 44. The regular map reservation indicator 44 is, for example, composed of four LEDs, and displays the number of regular map reservations by lighting up the LEDs according to the number of regular map reservations.

2. Electrical Configuration of the Gaming Machine The electrical configuration of the gaming machine 1 will be described with reference to FIG. 3 and FIG. 4. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the main control board side of the gaming machine 1. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the sub-control board side of the gaming machine 1. The gaming machine 1 includes a main control board 80 (FIG. 3), a sub-control board 90 (FIG. 4), an image control board 100 (FIG. 4), a lamp control board 107 (FIG. 4), a sound control board 106 (FIG. 4), and a payout control board 110 (FIG. 3). The main control board 80 is a game control board that controls game profits such as big win lottery and transition of game state, and constitutes a main control unit. The sub-control board 90 is a performance control board that controls performances executed as the game progresses, and constitutes a sub-control unit together with the image control board 100, the lamp control board 107, and the sound control board 106. The sub-control unit can be configured as long as it includes at least the sub-control board 90.

The main control board 80 includes a game control microcomputer 81 and an input/output circuit 87. The game control microcomputer 81 is a one-chip microcomputer mounted on the main control board 80, and controls the progress of the game on the gaming machine 1 according to a program. The game control microcomputer 81 includes a main ROM 83 that stores programs for controlling the progress of the game, a main RAM 84 used as a work memory, and a main CPU 82 that executes the programs stored in the main ROM 83. Details of the data stored in the main ROM 83 and details of the storage area provided in the main RAM 84 will be described later. The main ROM 83 may be configured as an external ROM. The game control microcomputer 81 transmits and receives data to and from other boards, etc. via an input/output circuit (I/O port section) 87. The input/output circuit 87 may be built into the game control microcomputer 81.

Various sensors and solenoids are connected to the main control board 80 via an input/output circuit 87 and a relay board 88. The main control board 80 receives signals output from each sensor and outputs signals to each solenoid. Examples of sensors connected via the relay board 88 include the large prize opening start port sensor 17a, the first start port sensor 20a, the second start port sensor 21a, the gate sensor 28a, the first large prize port sensor 30a, the second large prize port sensor 35a, the V area sensor 39a, the non-V area sensor 70a, and the normal prize port sensors 27a and 29a. Examples of solenoids connected via the relay board 88 include the electric chute solenoid 24, the first large prize port solenoid 33, the second large prize port solenoid 38, and the V opening and closing member solenoid 73. The large prize opening start opening sensor 17a is provided inside the large prize opening start opening 17 and detects a game ball that has entered the large prize opening start opening 17. The first start opening sensor 20a is provided inside the first start opening 20 and detects a game ball that has entered the first start opening 20. The second start opening sensor 21a is provided inside the second start opening 21 and detects a game ball that has entered the second start opening 21. The gate sensor 28a is provided inside the gate 28 and detects a game ball that has passed through the gate 28. The first large prize opening sensor 30a is provided inside the first large prize opening 30 and detects a game ball that has entered the first large prize opening 30. The second large prize opening sensor 35a is provided inside the second large prize opening 35 and detects a game ball that has entered the second large prize opening 35. The V-area sensor 39a is provided in the V-area 39 inside the first large prize opening 30, and detects game balls that have passed through the V-area 39. The non-V-area sensor 70a is provided in the non-V-area 70 inside the first large prize opening 30, and detects game balls that have passed through the non-V-area 70. The regular prize opening sensor 27a is provided inside the regular prize opening 27, and detects game balls that have won in the regular prize opening 27. The regular prize opening sensor 29a detects game balls that have passed through the regular prize opening 29. The electric chute solenoid 24 drives the movable member 23 of the electric chute 22. The first large prize opening solenoid 33 drives the opening/closing member 32 of the first large prize device 31. The second large prize opening solenoid 38 drives the opening/closing member 37 of the second large prize device 36. The V-shaped opening/closing member solenoid 73 drives the V-shaped opening/closing member 71 of the first big prize device 31.

The main control board 80 is connected to the displays 40 via an input/output circuit 87. The game control microcomputer 81 controls the display of the first special symbol display 41a, the second special symbol display 41b, the normal symbol display 42, the first special symbol reserved display 43a, the second special symbol reserved display 43b, and the normal symbol reserved display 44.

The payout control board 110 is connected to the main control board 80 via the input/output circuit 87. The main control board 80 transmits various commands to the payout control board 110 and receives signals from the payout control board 110 to monitor payouts. The payout control board 110 is connected to the prize ball payout device 120, the loan ball payout device 130, and the card unit 135, and is connected to the launch device 112 via the launch control circuit 111. The prize ball payout device 120 pays out prize balls. The payout control board 110 drives the prize ball motor 121 of the prize ball payout device 120 based on a signal from the game control microcomputer 81 to pay out prize balls. The paid out prize balls are detected by the prize ball sensor 122 for counting. The loan ball payout device 130 pays out loan balls. The payout control board 110 drives the ball-lending motor 131 of the ball-lending device 130 to dispense balls based on a signal from a card unit 135 connected to the gaming machine 1. The dispensed balls are detected by a ball-lending sensor 132 for counting. The card unit 135 is disposed adjacent to the gaming machine 1 and outputs information about ball lending based on information such as an inserted prepaid card. The launching device 112 includes a handle 60 (FIG. 1), a launching motor 113, a touch switch 114, and a launching volume 115. When the player operates the handle 60, the launching device 112 detects the contact of the handle 60 by the touch switch 114 and detects the amount of rotation of the handle 60 by the launching volume 115. Then, the launching motor 113 is driven so that the game balls are launched with a strength corresponding to the magnitude of the detection signal of the launching volume 115.

The sub-control board 90 (Figure 4) is connected to the main control board 80 via an input/output circuit 87. The main control board 80 transmits various commands to the sub-control board 90. The connection between the main control board 80 and the sub-control board 90 is a one-way communication connection that only allows signals to be transmitted from the main control board 80 to the sub-control board 90. In other words, a unidirectional circuit (not shown, for example, a circuit using a diode) is interposed between the main control board 80 and the sub-control board 90 as a means for restricting the direction of communication.

The sub-control board 90 includes a performance control microcomputer 91 and an input/output circuit 95. The performance control microcomputer 91 is a one-chip microcomputer mounted on the sub-control board 90, and controls the performance of the game of the gaming machine 1 according to a program. The performance control microcomputer 91 includes a sub-ROM 93 that stores programs for controlling the performance as the game progresses, a sub-RAM 94 used as a work memory, and a sub-CPU 92 that executes the programs stored in the sub-ROM 93. Details of the data stored in the sub-ROM 93 and details of the storage area provided in the sub-RAM 94 will be described later. The sub-ROM 93 may be configured as an external ROM. The performance control microcomputer 91 transmits and receives data to and from other boards, etc. via an input/output circuit (I/O port section) 95. The input/output circuit 95 may be built into the performance control microcomputer 91. The sub-control board 90 is connected to an image control board 100, an audio control board 106, a lamp control board 107, and a relay board 108 via an input/output circuit 95.

The image control board 100 includes an image control microcomputer 101, an input circuit 105a, and an output circuit 105b. The image control microcomputer 101 is a one-chip microcomputer mounted on the image control board 100, and controls the display of the image display device 7 and the sub-display screen 64 according to a program. The image control microcomputer 101 includes a CPU 102, a ROM 103, and a RAM 104. In addition to a program for controlling the display, the ROM 103 stores still image data and video data to be displayed on the image display device 7 and the sub-display screen 64, specifically image data such as characters, items, figures, letters, numbers, and symbols (including performance patterns) and background images. The RAM 104 is used as a memory for expanding the image data. The CPU 102 executes the program stored in the ROM 103. Based on commands received from the main control board 80, the performance control microcomputer 91 causes the image control microcomputer 101 to control the display of the image display device 7 and the sub-display screen 64. Based on instructions from the performance control microcomputer 91, the image control microcomputer 101 reads image data from the ROM 103 and controls the display based on the read image data.

The speaker 67 is connected to the audio control board 106, and the performance control microcomputer 91 outputs voice, music, sound effects, etc. from the speaker 67 via the audio control board 106 based on commands received from the main control board 80. Sound data such as voice output from the speaker 67 is stored in the sub-ROM 93 of the sub-control board 90. The audio control board 106 may be equipped with a CPU, and the CPU may execute audio control based on commands. Furthermore, the audio control board 106 may be equipped with a ROM, and audio data may be stored in the ROM. The speaker 67 may also be connected to the image control board 100, and the CPU 102 of the image control board 100 may execute audio control. Furthermore, audio data may be stored in the ROM 103 of the image control board 100.

The lamp control board 107 is connected to the frame lamp 66, the board lamp 5, the first movable role 14, the second movable role 15, and the frame movable role 69, and controls them. The performance control microcomputer 91 controls the lighting of lamps such as the frame lamp 66 and the board lamp 5 through the lamp control board 107 based on commands received from the main control board 80. In other words, the performance control microcomputer 91 creates light pattern data (data that determines the on/off and light color, etc., also called lamp data) that determines the light emission mode of lamps such as the frame lamp 66 and the board lamp 5, and controls the light emission of lamps such as the frame lamp 66 and the board lamp 5 according to the light emission pattern data. The data stored in the sub-ROM 93 of the sub-control board 90 is used to create the light emission pattern data. The performance control microcomputer 91 operates the first movable role 14, the second movable role 15, and the frame movable role 69 based on commands received from the main control board 80. The performance control microcomputer 91 creates operation pattern data (drive data) that determines the operation modes of the first movable role 14, the second movable role 15, and the frame movable role 69, and controls the operation of the first movable role 14, the second movable role 15, and the frame movable role 69 according to the operation pattern data. Data stored in the sub-ROM 93 is used to create the operation pattern data. The lamp control board 107 may be equipped with a CPU, and the CPU may be made to control the lighting of the lamps and the operation of the movable roles 14 and 15 based on commands. In this case, the lamp control board 107 may be equipped with a ROM, and data regarding the light emission pattern and operation pattern may be stored in the ROM.

The relay board 108 is connected to a performance button detection switch 63a and a select button detection switch 68a. The performance button detection switch 63a detects that the performance button 63 (Figure 1) has been pressed. When the performance button 63 is pressed, a switch signal is output from the performance button detection switch 63a to the sub-control board 90 via the relay board 108. A vibration motor is also attached to the performance button detection switch 63a, which can be driven in response to a signal from the relay board 108 to vibrate the performance button 63. The select button detection switch 68a detects that the select button 68 has been pressed. In addition, a sword component detection switch that detects that the sword component 65 has been searched is also connected to the relay board 108.

3. Data Structure of the Gaming Machine The data structure of the gaming machine 1 will be described with reference to Figures 5 and 6. Figure 5 (A) is a diagram for explaining a table stored in the main ROM 83. Figure 5 (B) is a diagram for explaining a storage area provided in the main RAM 84. Figure 6 (A) is a diagram for explaining a table stored in the sub ROM 93. Figure 6 (B) is a diagram for explaining a storage area provided in the sub RAM 94.

The main ROM 83 (FIG. 5(A)) stores a jackpot determination table T1, a reach determination table T2, a normal symbol hit determination table T3, a normal symbol change pattern determination table T4, a jackpot type determination table T5, a change pattern determination table T6, an electric chute opening pattern determination table T7, a large prize opening pattern determination table T8, and a V-shaped opening member opening pattern determination table T9. These determination tables are referenced by the game control microcomputer 81 in the main control main process (described later) executed by the game control microcomputer 81. The specific contents of each determination table will be described later.

The main RAM 84 (FIG. 5B) includes a command set area 84a, a flag set area 84b, a counter set area 84c, a special action status set area 84d, a special chart reserved memory area 85, and a normal chart reserved memory area 86. The command set area 84a is an area (output buffer) in which commands output from the main control unit to the sub-control unit in the main control main process (described later) are set, and a pre-determination command, reserved ball number command, fluctuation start command, fluctuation stop command, opening command, round designation command, ending command, game state designation command, V pass command, customer waiting standby command, etc. are set. The flag set area 84b is an area in which flags indicating the state of the gaming machine and the game state are set in the main control main process (described later), and a jackpot flag, jackpot end flag, first winning flag, second winning flag, ceiling flag, V flag, probability change flag, time reduction flag, etc. are set. The counter set area 84c is an area where counters used in the main control main process (described later) are set, and a random number counter, a round counter, a ceiling counter, a probability change counter, a time reduction counter, etc. are set. The special operation status set area 84d is an area where a status in the special operation process described later is set. The special pattern reserved memory area 85 includes a first special pattern reserved memory area 85a in which the first special pattern reserved is stored, and a second special pattern reserved memory area 85b in which the second special pattern reserved is stored. The first special pattern reserved memory area 85a is provided with a first memory area, a second memory area, a third memory area, and a fourth memory area for storing random number groups (reserved information) such as random numbers for special patterns corresponding to the first, second, third, and fourth pieces of the first special pattern reserved, respectively. The second special symbol reserved memory area 85b is provided with a first memory area, a second memory area, a third memory area, and a fourth memory area for storing random number groups (reserved information) corresponding to the first, second, third, and fourth pieces of the second special symbol reserved. The normal symbol reserved memory area 86 is provided with a first memory area, a second memory area, a third memory area, and a fourth memory area for storing random number groups (reserved information) such as normal symbol random numbers (winning random numbers) corresponding to the first, second, third, and fourth pieces of the normal symbol reserved. In addition to the above areas, the main RAM 84 is provided with a winning type set buffer in which special symbol stop symbol data is set, and a drive data buffer in which drive data for driving the movable parts 14, 15 and the frame movable body 600 is set. The information stored in the main RAM 84 is not cleared even when the power of the gaming machine 1 is turned off or on, and is maintained as it is. That is, the above commands, flags, counters, status information, and pending information do not change state even when the power is turned OFF or ON, and the information is maintained. Meanwhile, the information stored in the main RAM 84 is reset by clearing the RAM of the gaming machine 1. When reset, the ceiling flag is set to "ON" as the initial state of the flags, and the other flags are set to "OFF". Also, the ceiling counter is set to "500" as the initial state of the counters, and the other counters are set to "0".

The sub-ROM 93 (FIG. 6(A)) stores a look-ahead performance pattern determination table T51, a core performance pattern determination table T52, a chance-up performance pattern determination table T53, and a stop symbol pattern determination table T54. These determination tables are referenced by the performance control microcomputer 91 in the sub-control main process (described later) executed by the performance control microcomputer 91. The specific contents of each determination table will be described later.

The sub-RAM 94 (FIG. 6B) is provided with a command memory area 94a, a performance command set area 94b, a pre-judgment information memory area 94c, and a counter set area 94d. The command memory area 94a is an area (input buffer) in which commands input from the main control unit side in the sub-control main processing (described later) are stored, and pre-judgment commands, reserved ball number commands, fluctuation start commands, fluctuation stop commands, opening commands, round designation commands, ending commands, game state designation commands, V pass commands, customer waiting standby commands, etc. are stored. The performance command set area 94b is an area (output buffer) in which commands output from the sub-control board 90 to the image control board 100, the sound control board 106, the lamp control board 107, and the relay board 108 in the sub-control main processing (described later) are set, and a fluctuation performance start command, a pre-fluctuation end command, a fluctuation performance end command, an opening performance start command, a round performance start command, an ending performance start command, etc. are set. The pre-judgment information storage area 94c stores pre-judgment information in the sub-control main process (described later). The counter set area 94d is an area in which counters used in the sub-control main process (described later) are set, and a random number counter, a first special reserved effect counter, a second special reserved effect counter, a normal reserved effect counter, a ceiling effect counter, an overnight effect counter, a probability change effect counter, a time-saving effect counter, and the like are set. Of the information stored in the sub-RAM 94, the information other than the overnight effect counter is not cleared even when the power supply of the gaming machine 1 is turned OFF or ON, and is maintained as it is. In other words, the above-mentioned commands, counters other than the overnight effect counter, and pre-judgment information are not changed even when the power supply is turned OFF or ON, and the information is maintained. The overnight effect counter is reset by turning the power supply of the gaming machine 1 OFF or ON, and 0 is set as the initial state. The information stored in the sub-RAM 94 is reset by the RAM clear of the gaming machine 1. When reset, the ceiling effect counter is set to 500 as the initial state of the counters, and the other counters are set to 0.

Figure 7 is a diagram for explaining various random numbers used in the gaming machine 1. Figure 7 (A) shows the random numbers acquired by the gaming control microcomputer 81 on the main control unit side, and Figure 7 (B) shows the random numbers acquired by the performance control microcomputer 91 on the sub-control unit side. The gaming control microcomputer 81 is configured to acquire a "jackpot random number", a "jackpot type random number", a "reach random number", a "variable pattern random number", and a "normal pattern random number (win random number)" at the timing described below. The "jackpot random number" is a random number used in the lottery to determine whether or not there is a jackpot (jackpot determination), and takes a value in the range of 0 to 65535. The "jackpot type random number" is a random number used in the lottery to determine the type of jackpot that has been won (jackpot type determination), and takes a value in the range of 0 to 127. The "reach random number" is a random number used to determine whether or not a reach occurs in the performance pattern change performance that indicates the result when the jackpot judgment is a miss, and takes a value in the range of 0 to 127. The reach is a state in which there is only one performance pattern remaining among multiple performance patterns (decorative patterns) that is displayed in a changing manner, and depending on which of the performance patterns that are displayed in a changing manner are displayed as stopped, a combination of performance patterns that indicates a jackpot win (for example, a "7↓7" state). Note that the performance pattern that is displayed in a stopped state in the reach state may be displayed as if it is flickering on the display screen 7a. The "change pattern random number" is a random number used to determine a change pattern including a change time, and takes a value in the range of 0 to 127. The "normal pattern random number (win random number)" is used in a lottery (normal pattern lottery) to determine whether or not to play an auxiliary game that opens the electric chute 22. The normal pattern random number takes a value in the range of 0 to 255. The "jackpot random number", "jackpot type random number", "reach random number", and "variation pattern random number" are obtained based on the ball entering the start port (first start port 20 or second start port 21). The random number group obtained based on the ball entering the first start port 20 is stored in the first special pattern reserve memory area 85a, and the random number group obtained based on the ball entering the second start port 21 is stored in the second special pattern reserve memory area 85b. The "normal pattern random number (winning random number)" is obtained based on the passage through the gate 28. The obtained normal pattern random number value is stored in the normal pattern reserve memory area 86.

The performance control microcomputer 91 is configured to acquire a "look-ahead performance random number" and a "chance up random number" at the timing described below. The "look-ahead performance random number" is a random number used to determine the look-ahead performance during a variable performance, and takes a value in the range of 0 to 127. The "chance up random number" is a random number used to determine the chance up performance during a variable performance, and takes a value in the range of 0 to 127. The "look-ahead performance random number" is acquired based on a pre-determination command being output from the main control unit to the sub-control unit. The acquired random value group is stored in the sub-RAM 94. The "chance up random number" is acquired based on a variation start command being output from the main control unit to the sub-control unit. The acquired random value group is stored in the sub-RAM 94.

Figure 8 is a diagram for explaining the judgment tables T1 to T4. Figure 8 (A) shows a diagram for explaining the big win judgment table T1, Figure 8 (B) shows a diagram for explaining the reach judgment table T2, Figure 8 (C) shows a diagram for explaining the normal pattern hit judgment table T3, and Figure 8 (D) shows a diagram for explaining the normal pattern change pattern judgment table T4.

The jackpot determination table T1 is a table that the game control microcomputer 81 refers to in the main control main process (described later) to determine whether the acquired jackpot random number (any of 0 to 65535) corresponds to a "jackpot" or a "miss." In FIG. 8(A), it is shown that in the "normal probability state," if the jackpot random number is "0 to 164," it is determined to be a "jackpot," and if the jackpot random number is "a number other than 0 to 164 (165 to 65535)," it is determined to be a "miss." Also, in the "high probability state," if the jackpot random number is "0 to 649," it is determined to be a "jackpot," and if the jackpot random number is "a number other than 0 to 649 (650 to 65535)," it is determined to be a "miss." The contents of the "normal probability state" and "high probability state" will be described later.

The reach judgment table T2 is a table that the game control microcomputer 81 refers to in the main control main process (described later) to judge whether the acquired reach random number value (any of 0 to 127) corresponds to "reach" or "no reach". In FIG. 8 (B), it is shown that in the "non-time-saving state", when the reach random number value is "0 to 13", it is judged as "reach", and when the reach random number value is "a number other than 0 to 13 (14 to 127)", it is judged as "no reach". Also, in the "time-saving state", when the reach random number value is "0 to 5", it is judged as "reach", and when the reach random number value is "a number other than 0 to 5 (6 to 127)", it is judged as "no reach". The contents of the "time-saving state" and "non-time-saving state" will be described later. In the reach judgment table T2, it is more difficult to reach when losing in the time-saving state than in the non-time-saving state. This is because when in the time-saving mode, more no-reach misses with short fluctuation times are selected, speeding up the consumption of reserved special charts.

The normal symbol hit determination table T3 is a table that is referenced by the game control microcomputer 81 in the main control main process (described later) to determine whether the acquired normal symbol random number value (any of 0 to 255) corresponds to a "hit" or a "miss." FIG. 8(C) shows that in the "non-time-saving state," if the normal symbol random number value is "0 to 2," it is determined to be a "hit," and if the normal symbol random number value is "a number other than 0 to 2 (3 to 255)," it is determined to be a "miss." It also shows that in the "time-saving state," if the normal symbol random number value is "0 to 254," it is determined to be a "hit," and if the normal symbol random number value is "a number other than 0 to 254 (255)," it is determined to be a "miss."

The normal symbol change pattern determination table T4 is a table that is referenced by the game control microcomputer 81 in the main control main process (described later) to determine how many seconds the normal symbol change time is depending on the game state (non-time-saving state or time-saving state). Figure 8 (D) shows that in the "non-time-saving state", the normal symbol change time is determined to be "30 seconds", and in the "time-saving state", the normal symbol change time is determined to be "1 second".

Figure 9 is a diagram for explaining the jackpot type determination table T5. The jackpot type determination table T5 is a table that the game control microcomputer 81 refers to in the main control main process (described later) to determine the "jackpot type" and the "type of special symbol" according to the acquired jackpot type random number value (any of 0 to 127). In Figure 9, when the first special symbol (special symbol 1) is selected in the lottery, if the jackpot type random number value is "0 to 24", the jackpot type is determined to be "16RV passing jackpot" and the special symbol 1 stopping symbol (special symbol stopping symbol) is determined to be "jackpot symbol 1". If the jackpot type random number value is "25 to 49", the jackpot type is determined to be "16RV passing jackpot" and the special symbol stopping symbol is determined to be "jackpot symbol 2". When the jackpot type random number value is "50-55", the jackpot type is determined to be "16R (actually 15R) V-passing jackpot" and the special symbol stop pattern is determined to be "jackpot pattern 3". When the jackpot type random number value is "56-67", the jackpot type is determined to be "16R (actually 13R) V-passing jackpot" and the special symbol stop pattern is determined to be "jackpot pattern 4". When the jackpot type random number value is "68-127", the jackpot type is determined to be "16R (actually 13R) V-non-passing jackpot" and the special symbol stop pattern is determined to be "jackpot pattern 5". On the other hand, when the second special symbol (special symbol 2) is selected in the lottery, when the jackpot type random number value is "0-82", the jackpot type is determined to be "16RV-passing jackpot" and the special symbol 2 stop pattern (special symbol stop pattern) is determined to be "jackpot pattern 1". When the jackpot type random number value is "83 to 127", the jackpot type is determined to be "16R (actual 13R) V non-passing jackpot" and the special symbol stop pattern is determined to be "jackpot pattern 5". By referring to the jackpot type determination table T5, the "special symbol stop pattern data" corresponding to the special symbol stop pattern, the "opening (OP) command", "round designation command", and "ending (ED) command" of the special game can also be specified. The specific contents of "16RV passing jackpot", "16R (actual 15R) V passing jackpot", "16R (actual 13R) V passing jackpot", and "16R (actual 13R) V non-passing jackpot" will be described later.

Figure 10 is a diagram for explaining the fluctuation pattern determination table T6 in the non-time-saving state. Figure 11 is a diagram for explaining the fluctuation pattern determination table T6 in the time-saving state. The fluctuation pattern determination table T6 is a table that is referenced by the game control microcomputer 81 in the main control main process (described later) to determine the fluctuation pattern according to the acquired fluctuation pattern random number value (0 to 127). Figure 10 shows, for example, that in the non-time-saving state, when a ball enters the first starting hole 20, the jackpot determination table T1 determines it as a "miss," the reach determination table T2 determines it as a "reach," the number of reserved balls is "1 to 2," and the fluctuation pattern random number value is "0 to 60," the fluctuation pattern is determined to be "P7." In FIG. 11, for example, when the second starting hole 21 is won in the time-saving state, the jackpot determination table T1 determines it as a "jackpot", the jackpot type determination table T5 determines it as a "jackpot expected to pass 16RV", and the fluctuation pattern random number value is "0 to 10", the fluctuation pattern is determined as "P61". As shown in FIG. 10 and FIG. 11, when the fluctuation pattern is determined, the fluctuation time is also determined. In addition, when a reach occurs, it is also determined whether the reach will be a normal reach or a super reach (SP reach). A super reach is a reach performance in which the fluctuation time after the reach is longer than that of a normal reach. Here, five types of super reaches (SP1, SP2, SP3, SP4, SP5) with different fluctuation times are set. In SP1 to SP3, it is executed in a developed manner after a normal reach. The difference between SP1 to SP5 may be, for example, the presence or absence of a pseudo consecutive.

Figure 12 is a diagram for explaining the electric chute opening pattern determination table T7. The electric chute opening pattern determination table T7 is a table that the game control microcomputer 81 refers to in the main control main process (described later) to determine the opening pattern of the electric chute 22 depending on the game state (non-time-saving state or time-saving state). In Figure 12 (A), it is shown that in the "non-time-saving state", the opening pattern of the electric chute 22 is determined to be "opening pattern 11", and in the "time-saving state", the opening pattern is determined to be "opening pattern 12". Figure 12 (B) shows the contents of opening pattern 11 and opening pattern 12. In opening pattern 11, the electric chute 22 is opened once and for an opening time of 0.2 seconds. In opening pattern 12, the electric chute 22 is opened three times, with an opening time of 2.0 seconds per time, and an interval (opening interval) of 1.0 seconds. However, if a predetermined number of game balls are won (a maximum of 10 balls), the electric chute 22 will close even if there is still time left to open it.

Figure 13 is a diagram for explaining the large prize opening pattern determination table T8. The large prize opening pattern determination table T8 is a table that is referred to by the game control microcomputer 81 in the main control main process (described later) to determine the opening pattern of the first large prize opening 30 and the second large prize opening 35 according to the special symbol stop pattern data (Figure 9). In Figure 13 (A), when the special symbol stop pattern data is "11H", "12H", or "21H", the opening pattern of the first large prize opening 30 and the second large prize opening 35 is determined to be "opening pattern 21", when the special symbol stop pattern data is "14H", "15H", or "22H", the opening pattern is determined to be "opening pattern 22", and when the special symbol stop pattern data is "13H", the opening pattern is determined to be "opening pattern 23". In Figure 13 (B), the contents of the opening pattern 21, the opening pattern 22, and the opening pattern 23 are shown. In the opening pattern 21, the first large prize opening 30 is opened once and for an opening time of 29.5 seconds (long opening) in the 1st to 13th and 15th rounds, and the second large prize opening 35 is opened once and for an opening time of 29.5 seconds (long opening) in the 14th and 16th rounds. In the opening pattern 22, the first large prize opening 30 is opened once and for an opening time of 29.5 seconds (long opening) in the 1st to 13th rounds, the second large prize opening 35 is opened once and for an opening time of 0.1 seconds (short opening) in the 14th and 16th rounds, and the first large prize opening 30 is opened once and for an opening time of 0.1 seconds (short opening) in the 15th round. In opening pattern 23, the first large prize opening 30 is opened once and for an opening time of 29.5 seconds (long opening) in rounds 1 to 13 and 15, the second large prize opening 35 is opened once and for an opening time of 0.1 seconds (short opening) in round 14, and the second large prize opening 35 is opened once and for an opening time of 29.5 seconds (long opening) in round 16. However, if a predetermined number of game balls have won (prescribed number of winnings, up to 9 balls), the first large prize opening 30 and the second large prize opening 35 are closed even if there is still opening time remaining.

FIG. 14 is a diagram for explaining the V-opening/closing member opening pattern determination table T9. The V-opening/closing member opening pattern determination table T9 is a table that is referred to by the game control microcomputer 81 in the main control main process (described later) to determine the opening pattern of the V-opening/closing member 71 according to the special symbol stop pattern data (FIG. 9). In FIG. 14(A), when the special symbol stop pattern data is "11H", "12H", or "21H", the opening pattern of the V-opening/closing member 71 is determined to be "opening pattern 31", when the special symbol stop pattern data is "13H", the opening pattern is determined to be "opening pattern 32", when the special symbol stop pattern data is "14H", the opening pattern is determined to be "opening pattern 33", and when the special symbol stop pattern data is "15H" or "22H", the opening pattern is determined to be "opening pattern 34". In FIG. 14(B), the contents of the opening pattern 31, the opening pattern 32, the opening pattern 33, and the opening pattern 34 are shown. In the opening pattern 31, in the 2nd, 4th, 6th, and 8th rounds, when the first prize is won in the first large prize opening 30, the V opening/closing member 71 is opened in a short time of 0.1 seconds. In the 10th and 12th rounds, when the first prize is won in the first large prize opening 30, the V opening/closing member 71 is opened in a short time of 0.1 seconds, and when the second prize is won, the V opening/closing member 71 is opened in a long time of up to 31.5 seconds. In the opening pattern 32, in the 2nd, 4th, 6th, and 12th rounds, when the first prize is won in the first large prize opening 30, the V opening/closing member 71 is opened in a short time of 0.1 seconds. In the 8th and 10th rounds, when the first prize is won in the first large prize opening 30, the V opening/closing member 71 is opened in a short time of 0.1 seconds, and when the second prize is won, the V opening/closing member 71 is opened in a long time of up to 31.5 seconds. In opening pattern 33, when the first prize is won in the first large prize opening 30 in the 2nd and 6th rounds, the V-shaped opening/closing member 71 is opened in a short time of 0.1 seconds, and when the second prize is won, the V-shaped opening/closing member 71 is opened in a long time of up to 31.5 seconds. In the 4th, 8th, 10th, and 12th rounds, when the first prize is won in the first large prize opening 30, the V-shaped opening/closing member 71 is opened in a short time of 0.1 seconds. In opening pattern 34, when the first prize is won in the first large prize opening 30 in the 2nd, 4th, 6th, 8th, 10th, and 12th rounds, the V-shaped opening/closing member 71 is opened in a short time of 0.1 seconds.
The port will be opened.

4. Description of jackpots, etc. In the gaming machine 1, there are "jackpots" and "losses" as a result of the jackpot lottery (special symbol lottery). In the case of a "jackpot", a "jackpot symbol" is displayed on the special symbol display 41. In the case of a "loss", a "loss symbol" is displayed on the special symbol display 41. When a jackpot is won, a "jackpot game" is executed in which the jackpot winning holes (the first jackpot winning hole 30 and the second jackpot winning hole 35) are opened in an opening pattern according to the type of the special symbol (type of jackpot) that is displayed on the screen. The jackpot game is an example of a special game. The jackpot game includes a plurality of round games (unit opening games), an opening (OP) before the first round game starts, and an ending (ED) after the last round game ends. Each round game starts with the end of the opening or the end of the previous round game, and ends with the start of the next round game. The time (interval time) for closing the big prize opening between rounds of play is included in the open round of play before that closure.

There are several types of jackpots. The types of jackpots are as shown in FIG. 9. Here, the types of jackpots are roughly divided into two types: "V-passing jackpot" and "V-non-passing jackpot". A "V-passing jackpot" is a jackpot that operates the opening/closing member 32, the opening/closing member 37, and the V-opening/closing member 71 in an opening pattern (V-passing opening pattern) that allows the game ball to pass through to the V area 39 during the jackpot game. Here, a jackpot with special stop pattern data of 11H to 14H, 21H corresponds to a "V-passing jackpot (probable jackpot)". When the combination of the opening pattern of the opening/closing member 32 and the opening/closing member 37 shown in FIG. 13 and the opening pattern of the V-opening/closing member 71 shown in FIG. 14 is (opening pattern 21: opening pattern 31), (opening pattern 22: opening pattern 33), or (opening pattern 23: opening pattern 32), the game ball can pass through to the V area 39 during the jackpot game. A "V non-passing scheduled jackpot (normal jackpot)" is a jackpot that activates the opening/closing members 32, 37, and 71 in an opening pattern (V non-passing scheduled opening pattern) that makes it impossible for the game ball to pass through to the V area 39 during the jackpot game. Here, a jackpot with special stop pattern data of 15H and 22H corresponds to a "V non-passing scheduled jackpot". When the combination of the opening pattern of the opening/closing members 32 and 37 shown in FIG. 13 and the opening pattern of the V opening/closing member 71 shown in FIG. 14 is (opening pattern 22: opening pattern 34), it becomes impossible for the game ball to pass through to the V area 39 during the jackpot game. As described above, the opening pattern 22 of the opening/closing members 32 and 37 serves as both the V passing scheduled opening pattern and the V non-passing scheduled opening pattern.

The "V passing jackpot" includes the "16RV passing jackpot", the "16R (actually 13R) V passing jackpot", and the "16R (actually 15R) V passing jackpot". The "16RV passing jackpot" has a total of 16Rs. The first large prize opening 30 is opened for a maximum of 29.5 seconds per R in Rs 1 to 13 and R 15. The second large prize opening 35 is opened for a maximum of 29.5 seconds per R in Rs 14 and 16 (Figure 13: opening pattern 21). In Rs 10 and 12, the V opening/closing member 71 is opened for a long time (Figure 14: opening pattern 31), and it is easy to pass through to the V area 39 in the first large prize opening 30.

In the "16R (actually 13R) V-pass scheduled jackpot", the total number of rounds is 16R, but the actual total number of rounds is 13R. In other words, from 1R to 13R, the first large prize opening 30 is opened for a maximum of 29.5 seconds per R, but in 15R, the first large prize opening 30 is opened for only 0.1 seconds per R, and in 14R and 16R, the second large prize opening 35 is opened for only 0.1 seconds per R (Figure 13: Opening pattern 22). Therefore, in this "16R (actually 13R) V-pass scheduled jackpot", the opening time of the large prize opening is extremely short from 14R to 16R, making it a round in which no prize balls are expected. In other words, the "16R (actually 13R) V-pass scheduled jackpot" is a jackpot of 13R in effect. In rounds 2 and 6, the V-shaped opening/closing member 71 is opened long (Figure 14: opening pattern 33), making it easy to pass through to the V-shaped area 39 inside the first large winning opening 30.

In the "16R (actually 15R) V-pass scheduled jackpot", the total number of rounds is 16R, but the actual total number of rounds is 15R. In other words, from 1R to 13R and 15R, the first large prize opening 30 is opened for a maximum of 29.5 seconds per R, and in 16R, the second large prize opening 35 is opened for a maximum of 29.5 seconds per R, but in 14R, the second large prize opening 35 is opened for only 0.1 seconds per R (Figure 13: Opening pattern 23). Therefore, in this "16R (actually 15R) V-pass scheduled jackpot", the opening time of the large prize opening is extremely short in 14R, making it a round in which no prize balls are expected to be won. In other words, the "16R (actually 15R) V-pass scheduled jackpot" is a jackpot of essentially 15R. In rounds 8 and 10, the V-shaped opening and closing member 71 is opened long (Figure 14: opening pattern 32), making it easy to pass through to the V-shaped area 39 inside the first large prize opening 30.

The "V non-passing scheduled jackpot" is a "16R (actually 13R) V non-passing scheduled jackpot" of opening pattern 22, in which the total number of rounds is 16R, but the actual total number of rounds is 13. In other words, from 1R to 13R, the first large prize winning hole 30 is opened for a maximum of 29.5 seconds per round, but in 15R, the first large prize winning hole 30 is opened for only 0.1 seconds per round, and in 14R and 16R, the second large prize winning hole 35 is opened for only 0.1 seconds per round (Figure 13: opening pattern 22). Therefore, in this "16R (actually 13R) V non-passing scheduled jackpot", the opening time of the large prize winning hole is extremely short from 14R to 16R, making it a round in which no prize balls are expected. In other words, the "16R (actually 13R) V non-passing scheduled jackpot" is a jackpot of 13R in effect. At 2R, 4R, 6R, 8R, 10R and 12R, the V-shaped opening/closing member 71 is opened, but the opening is a short opening (Figure 14: opening pattern 34), making it nearly impossible for the game ball to pass through the V-shaped area 39 inside the first large winning opening 30.

As is clear from the above explanation, the "16R (actual 13R) V non-passing scheduled jackpot" and the "16R (actual 13R) V passing scheduled jackpot" have the same opening pattern (opening pattern 22) between the first large prize winning opening 30 and the second large prize winning opening 35 (opening member 32 and opening member 37), and only the opening pattern of the V opening and closing member 71 is different (opening pattern 34 and opening pattern 33). As will be described later, the "16R (actual 13R) V non-passing scheduled jackpot" and the "16R (actual 13R) V passing scheduled jackpot" are designed to play a time-saving game (100 times in this example) after the jackpot game ends. In other words, in the "16R (actual 13R) V non-passing scheduled jackpot", it is almost impossible for the game ball to pass through the V area 39 in the first large prize winning opening 30, and the game state after the jackpot becomes a low-probability time-saving state (low-probability high base state). On the other hand, in the "16R (actual 13R) V-passing scheduled jackpot", the game ball can easily pass through the V area 39 in the first big winning port 30, and the game state after the jackpot becomes a high-probability time-saving state (high-probability high-base state). For this reason, it becomes difficult for the player to distinguish between the "16R (actual 13R) V-non-passing scheduled jackpot" and the "16R (actual 13R) V-passing scheduled jackpot", and it becomes difficult to determine whether the game state after the jackpot becomes a low-probability time-saving state (low-probability high-base state) or a high-probability time-saving state (high-probability high-base state). In addition, after the time-saving game ends, the game state becomes a low-probability low-base state (normal state) in the "16R (actual 13R) V-non-passing scheduled jackpot", and the game state becomes a high-probability low-base state that appears to be the normal state in the "16R (actual 13R) V-passing scheduled jackpot". That is, in the "16R (actually 13R) V passing scheduled jackpot", when the game ball passes through the V area 39 in the first large winning port 30, when the time-saving state after the jackpot game ends, the game state becomes a high probability low base state but a latent state in which a high probability is hidden (latent high probability state), and this latent high probability state is difficult for the player to distinguish. That is, the low-probability time-saving state (low-probability high base state) after the jackpot play of "16R (actual 13R) V non-passing jackpot" and "16R (actual 13R) V passing jackpot", the high-probability time-saving state (high-probability high base state) after the jackpot play of "16R (actual 13R) V passing jackpot", and the low-probability low base state after the time-saving end of "16R (actual 13R) V non-passing jackpot" and the high-probability low base state after the time-saving end of "16R (actual 13R) V passing jackpot" are performed in a manner that is difficult for the player to distinguish.

As shown in FIG. 9, the distribution rate of the jackpot in the drawing for the first special symbol (special symbol 1) is 68/128 (about 53%) for the V-passing jackpot and 60/128 (about 47%) for the V-non-passing jackpot. In contrast, the distribution rate of the jackpot in the drawing for the second special symbol (special symbol 2) is 83/128 (about 64.8%) for the V-passing jackpot and 45/128 (about 35.2%) for the V-non-passing jackpot. In this way, the gaming machine 1 is set up so that the jackpot lottery (lottery for the second special symbol) held when the gaming ball enters the second starting hole 21 is more advantageous to the player than the jackpot lottery (lottery for the first special symbol) held when the gaming ball enters the first starting hole 20.

5. Description of the gaming state The gaming state of the gaming machine 1 will be described. The gaming control microcomputer 81 can execute "probability variation control" and "variation time reduction control" for the special symbols displayed on the special symbol display 41 and the normal symbols displayed on the normal symbol display 42, respectively. Here, the state in which the gaming control microcomputer 81 performs probability variation control on the special symbols of the special symbol display 41 is called a "high probability state (high probability state, probability variation state, probability change state)," and the state in which the probability variation control is not performed is simply called a "normal probability state (non-high probability state, low probability state, normal state)." The gaming control microcomputer 81 realizes the high probability state by performing a jackpot determination using a jackpot determination table (FIG. 8(A)) in which the number of jackpot random numbers determined to be a jackpot is greater in the high probability state than in the normal probability state, as the probability variation control of the special symbols. Therefore, the high probability state has a higher probability of jackpot than the normal probability state. In other words, when the game control microcomputer 81 is executing probability fluctuation control on the special pattern of the special pattern display device 41, the probability that the display result (stop pattern) of the variable display of the special pattern by the special pattern display device 41 will be a jackpot pattern is higher than when the probability fluctuation control is not being executed.

In addition, the state in which the game control microcomputer 81 controls the time-shortening of the special symbol of the special symbol display 41 is called the "time-shortening state", and the state in which the time-shortening of the special symbol is not controlled is simply called the "non-time-shortening state". In the time-shortening state, the time-shortening of the special symbol (the time from the start of the display to the derivation of the display result) is shorter than in the non-time-shortening state. The game control microcomputer 81 judges the variation pattern using the variation pattern judgment table T6 (FIGS. 10 and 11) that is determined so that a variation pattern with a short variation time is selected more often than in the non-time-shortening state in the time-shortening state. In other words, when the game control microcomputer 81 is executing the variation time-shortening control for the special symbol of the special symbol display 41, a short variation time is more likely to be selected as the variation time of the variable display of the special symbol compared to when the variation time-shortening control is not executed. As a result, in the time-shortening state, the pace of consumption of the special symbol reservation is faster, and effective winning (winning that can be stored as the special symbol reservation) at the starting port is more likely to occur. This allows players to aim for a big win while playing smoothly. Note that the game control microcomputer 81 may simultaneously execute probability fluctuation control and fluctuation time reduction control for the special symbols on the special symbol display 41, or may execute only one of them.

The game control microcomputer 81 executes the probability fluctuation control and the fluctuation time shortening control for the normal pattern of the normal pattern display 42 in synchronization with the fluctuation time shortening control for the special pattern of the special pattern display 41. That is, the game control microcomputer 81 executes the probability fluctuation control and the fluctuation time shortening control for the normal pattern in the time-shortening state, but does not execute them in the non-time-shortening state. The game control microcomputer 81 performs the hit judgment (judgment of the normal pattern) using the normal pattern hit judgment table T3 (FIG. 8(C)) in which the number of normal pattern random number values (hit random number values) judged as a hit is higher in the time-shortening state than in the non-time-shortening state, as the probability fluctuation control for the normal pattern. Therefore, in the time-shortening state, the hit probability is higher than in the normal pattern normal probability state. In other words, when the game control microcomputer 81 is executing probability fluctuation control on the normal pattern of the normal pattern display 42, the probability that the display result (stop pattern) of the variable display of the normal pattern by the normal pattern display 42 will be a winning pattern is higher than when the probability fluctuation control is not executed. In the time-saving state, the fluctuation time of the normal pattern is shorter than that in the non-time-saving state. Here, the fluctuation time of the normal pattern is 30 seconds in the non-time-saving state, but is 1 second in the time-saving state (FIG. 8 (D)). Furthermore, in the time-saving state, the opening time of the electric chute 22 in the auxiliary game is longer than that in the non-time-saving state (FIG. 12). That is, the game control microcomputer 81 is executing the opening time extension control on the electric chute 22. In addition, in the time-saving state, the number of times the electric chute 22 is opened in the auxiliary game is greater than that in the non-time-saving state (FIG. 12). That is, the game control microcomputer 81 is executing the opening number increase control on the electric chute 22. In a situation where the game control microcomputer 81 is executing the probability fluctuation control and the fluctuation time shortening control for the normal symbol of the normal symbol display 42, and the opening time extension control and the opening number increase control for the electric chute 22, the electric chute 22 is opened more frequently and the game balls enter the second start hole 21 more frequently than when these controls are not executed. As a result, the base, which is the ratio of the number of winning balls to the number of shot balls, becomes higher. Therefore, the state in which these controls are executed is called a "high base state", and the state in which they are not executed is called a "low base state". In the high base state, it is possible to aim for a jackpot without significantly reducing the number of game balls in hand. The high base state is a state in which the so-called electric support control (control that supports the entry into the second start hole 21 by the electric chute 22) is executed. The high base state (electric support control state) does not have to execute all of the above controls. That is, by executing one or more of the following controls, it is sufficient that the electric chute 22 is more likely to open than when the control is not executed: probability fluctuation control for the normal symbol on the normal symbol display 42, fluctuation time reduction control for the normal symbol on the normal symbol display 42, opening time extension control for the electric chute 22, and opening count increase control for the electric chute 22. Also, the high base state (electric support control state) may be controlled independently without being associated with the time-saving state.

In the gaming machine 1, the game state after a jackpot game due to winning a V-passing jackpot is a high probability state, a time-saving state, and a high base state if the game passes through the V area 39 during the jackpot game. This game state is particularly called a "high probability high base state" or a "high probability time-saving state." Specifically, the jackpots that result in a high probability high base state after a jackpot game are the "16RV-passing jackpot," the "16R (effectively 15R) V-passing jackpot," and the "16R (effectively 13R) V-passing jackpot" among the jackpot types shown in FIG. 9. For the "16RV-passing jackpot" and the "16R (effectively 15R) V-passing jackpot," the high probability high base state ends when the next jackpot (next jackpot) is won after the jackpot game and the jackpot game is executed. In the case of the "16R (actually 13R) V-passing jackpot", the high probability high base state ends when the special pattern is displayed a predetermined number of times (here, 100 times) after the jackpot game, resulting in a high probability low base state (latent probability change state), or when the next jackpot (next jackpot) is won and the jackpot game is played. In addition, the game state after the jackpot game due to the winning of the V non-passing jackpot is a normal probability state (non-high probability state, i.e., low probability state), time-saving state, and high base state if the V area 39 is not passed during the jackpot game (almost never). This game state is particularly called the "low probability high base state" and the "low probability time-saving state". Specifically, the jackpot in which the game state after the jackpot game becomes the low probability high base state is the "16R (actually 13R) V non-passing jackpot" among the jackpot types shown in FIG. 9. In this jackpot, the low probability high base state ends when the special symbol is displayed a predetermined number of times (here, 100 times) after the jackpot game, or when the next jackpot (next jackpot) is won and the jackpot game is played. When playing the gaming machine 1 for the first time, the game state after the power is turned on is a normal probability state, a non-time-saving state, and a low base state (non-electric support control state). This game state is particularly called a "low probability low base state." The low probability low base state is sometimes called a "normal game state" or a "low probability non-time-saving state (also simply called a non-time-saving state)." In addition, the state during which a special game (jackpot game) is being played is sometimes called a "special game state (jackpot game state)." Furthermore, the state controlled to at least one of the high probability state and the high base state is sometimes called a "specific game state."

In a high base state such as a high probability high base state or a low probability high base state, it is more advantageous to advance the game by hitting the ball to the right game area 3B (Fig. 1). This is because the electric support control makes it easier to open the electric chute 22 than in the low base state, and it is easier to enter the second start hole 21 than the first start hole 20. For this reason, in a high base state, the ball is hit to the right to enter the second start hole 21 while passing through the gate 28, which is the trigger for the normal pattern lottery. This allows more start wins (entry into the start hole) to be obtained than by hitting to the left. In addition, in the gaming machine 1, the game is played by hitting to the right even during a jackpot game. On the other hand, in a low base state, it is more advantageous to advance the game by hitting the ball to the left game area 3A (Fig. 1) by hitting to the left. Because electric support control is not being executed, the electric chute 22 is less likely to open than in the high base state, making it easier to win in the first starting hole 20 than in the second starting hole 21. For this reason, in the low base state, the ball is hit from the left in order to get the game ball to win in the first starting hole 20. This allows more start wins to be obtained than if the ball was hit from the right.

6. Operation of the game control microcomputer 81 The operation of the game control microcomputer 81 provided on the main control board 80 (Fig. 3) will be described with reference to Figs. 15 to 34. Counters, flags, status, buffers, etc. that appear in the description of the operation of the game control microcomputer 81 are provided in the main RAM 84. The game control microcomputer 81 corresponds to the win/lose determination means (Fig. 23) and the win/lose advance determination means (Figs. 18 and 19).

[Main control main processing]
FIG. 15 is a flow chart of the main control process. When the power supply of the gaming machine 1 is turned on, the gaming control microcomputer 81 reads out a program for executing the main control process from the main ROM 83. In the main control process, the gaming control microcomputer 81 first performs an initial setting (step S001). In the initial setting, for example, the main CPU 82 is set, and various flags, statuses, counters, etc. are reset. The initial value of the flag is the ceiling flag, i.e., "1", i.e., "ON", and the initial value of the other flags is "0", i.e., "OFF". The initial value of the status is "1". The initial value of the counter is the ceiling counter, i.e., "500", and the other counters are "0". The initial setting is performed only once after the power supply is turned on, and is not performed thereafter.

After the initial setting, the game control microcomputer 81 prohibits interrupts from the interrupt process (step S002) and performs the normal and special symbol main random number update process (step S003). In this normal and special symbol main random number update process, the game control microcomputer 81 updates the various random number counter values (jackpot random number, jackpot type random number, reach random number, variable pattern random number, normal symbol random number) shown in FIG. 7(A) by adding 1. When each random number counter value reaches the set upper limit value, it returns to "0" and is added again. Note that the initial value of each random number counter may be a value other than "0" and may be changed randomly. Also, each random number may be a so-called hardware random number generated using a known random number generation circuit consisting of a counter IC or the like.

After the normal and special symbol main random number update process, the game control microcomputer 81 allows the interrupt process to be interrupted (step S004). While the interrupt is allowed, the main timer interrupt process (step S005) can be executed. The main timer interrupt process is executed based on an interrupt pulse repeatedly input to the main CPU 82 at a predetermined cycle (for example, every 4 msec). That is, the main timer interrupt process is executed at a predetermined cycle (for example, every 4 msec). Then, from the end of the main timer interrupt process to the start of the next main timer interrupt process, the update process of various counter values by the normal and special symbol main random number update process is repeatedly executed. Note that if an interrupt pulse is input to the main CPU 82 when the interrupt is prohibited, the main timer interrupt process does not start immediately, but starts after the interrupt is allowed.

[Main timer interrupt processing]
FIG. 16 is a flow chart of the main timer interrupt process (FIG. 15: step S005). In the main timer interrupt process, the game control microcomputer 81 first performs a random number update process (step S101). Specifically, the game control microcomputer 81 updates various random number counter values shown in FIG. 7 (A). This random number update process is the same as the normal and special pattern main random number update process performed in the main control main process (FIG. 15) described above. That is, the update process of various random number counter values is performed both during the execution period of the main timer interrupt process and during other periods (the period from the end of the main timer interrupt process to the start of the next main timer interrupt process).

After the random number update process, the game control microcomputer 81 performs input processing (step S102). In the input process, the game control microcomputer 81 reads the detection signals detected by the various sensors attached to the gaming machine 1, and sets payout data for paying out prize balls according to the type of winning hole in the output buffer of the main RAM 84. The various sensors are, for example, the first start hole sensor 20a, the second start hole sensor 21a, the first large winning hole sensor 30a, the second large winning hole sensor 35a, the normal winning hole sensor 27a, and the normal winning hole sensor 29a (Figure 3).

After the input process, the game control microcomputer 81 executes the start hole sensor detection process (step S103), the normal operation process (step S104), the special operation process (step S105), the V-area sensor detection process (step S106), and the reserved ball number process (step S107) in that order. Details of these processes will be described later. After the reserved ball number process, the game control microcomputer 81 executes the output process (step S108). In the output process, the game control microcomputer 81 outputs the commands and the like set in the command set area 84a of the main RAM 84 in each of the above processes to the sub-control board 90. After the output process, the game control microcomputer 81 executes other processes (step S109). In the other processes, for example, the second special chart reserved display 43b is controlled to a display mode showing the number based on the reserved ball number of the special chart 2 described later, and the first special chart reserved display 43a is controlled to a display mode showing the number based on the reserved ball number of the special chart 1.

[Starting port sensor detection process]
FIG. 17 is a flow chart of the start hole sensor detection process (FIG. 16: step S103). The game control microcomputer 81 first judges whether or not a game ball has passed through the gate 28 (step S201). This judgment is made based on whether or not a game ball has been detected by the gate sensor 28a. If the game ball has not passed through the gate 28 (step S201: NO), the process skips to step S205. If the game ball has passed through the gate 28 (step S201: YES), the game control microcomputer 81 judges whether or not the number of reserved balls for normal symbols is "4 (upper limit value)" (step S202). The number of reserved balls for normal symbols is the number of reserved normal symbols, and more specifically, is the value of a counter that counts the number of reserved normal symbols provided in the main RAM 84. If the number of reserved balls for normal symbols is "4" (step S202: YES), the process skips to step S205. If the number of reserved normal symbol balls is "3" or less (step S202: NO), "1" is added to the number of reserved normal symbol balls (step S203), and then a normal symbol random number acquisition process is performed (step S204). Here, the game control microcomputer 81 acquires the value of the normal symbol random number counter (FIG. 7: value of label-TRND-H), and stores the acquired random number value in the first to fourth memory areas of the normal symbol reserved memory area 86 of the main RAM 84 according to the current number of reserved normal symbol balls.

In step S205, the game control microcomputer 81 judges whether or not a game ball has entered the second start hole 21. This judgment is made based on whether or not a game ball has been detected by the second start hole sensor 21a. If a game ball has not entered the second start hole 21 (step S205: NO), the process skips to step S210. If a game ball has entered (step S205: YES), the game control microcomputer 81 judges whether or not the number of reserved balls in the special chart 2 is "4 (upper limit value)" (step S206). The number of reserved balls in the special chart 2 is the number of reserved second special charts, and more specifically, is the value of a counter that counts the number of reserved second special charts provided in the main RAM 84. If the number of reserved balls in the special chart 2 is "4" (step S206: YES), the process skips to step S210. If the number of reserved balls for the special chart 2 is "3" or less (step S206: NO), "1" is added to the number of reserved balls for the special chart 2 (step S207), and then a special chart 2 related random number acquisition process is performed (step S208). Here, the value of the jackpot random number counter (Figure 7: value of label-TRND-A), the value of the jackpot type random number counter (Figure 7: value of label-TRND-AS), the value of the reach random number counter (Figure 7: value of label-TRND-RC), and the value of the variation pattern random number counter (Figure 7: value of label-TRND-T1) are acquired. The game control microcomputer 81 stores the acquired random number group in the storage area corresponding to the current number of reserved balls for the special chart 2 among the first to fourth storage areas of the second special chart reservation storage area 85b. The game control microcomputer 81 temporarily stores (holds) the acquired random number group in a buffer (pre-determination buffer) different from the second special chart reserved memory area 85b for the special chart 2 pre-determination process (FIG. 18) described later. After the special chart 2 related random number acquisition process, the game control microcomputer 81 performs the special chart 2 pre-determination process (step S209). The details of the special chart 2 pre-determination process will be described later.

In step S210, the game control microcomputer 81 judges whether or not a game ball has entered the first starting hole 20. This judgment is made based on whether or not a game ball has been detected by the first starting hole sensor 20a. If a game ball has not entered the first starting hole 20 (step S210: NO), this process is terminated. If a game ball has entered the first starting hole 20 (step S210: YES), the game control microcomputer 81 judges whether or not the number of reserved balls in the special chart 1 is "4 (upper limit value)" (step S211). The number of reserved balls in the special chart 1 is the number of reserved first special charts, and more specifically, is the value of a counter that counts the number of reserved first special charts provided in the main RAM 84. If the number of reserved balls in the special chart 1 is "4" (step S211: YES), this process is terminated. If the number of reserved balls for special chart 1 is "3" or less (step S211: NO), "1" is added to the number of reserved balls for special chart 1 (step S212), and then a random number acquisition process related to special chart 1 is performed (step S213). Here, as in the above-mentioned special chart 2 related random number acquisition process (step S208), the value of the jackpot random number counter, the value of the jackpot type random number counter, the value of the reach random number counter, and the value of the variation pattern random number counter are acquired. The game control microcomputer 81 stores the acquired random number group in a storage area corresponding to the current number of reserved balls for special chart 1 among the first to fourth storage areas of the first special chart reservation storage area 85a. The game control microcomputer 81 also temporarily stores (holds) the acquired random number group in a buffer (pre-determination buffer) different from the first special chart reservation storage area 85a for the special chart 1 pre-determination process (FIG. 19) described later. After the special chart 1 related random number acquisition process, the game control microcomputer 81 performs special chart 1 pre-determination process (step S214). The details of the special chart 1 pre-determination process will be described later.

[Special Drawing 2 Pre-Decision Processing]
FIG. 18 is a flow chart of the special chart 2 pre-judgment process (FIG. 17: step S209). The game control microcomputer 81 first judges whether the probability of winning is ON or not (step S301). If the probability of winning is OFF (step S301: NO), this process is terminated. That is, if the probability of winning is OFF, no pre-judgment is performed. On the other hand, if the probability of winning is ON, the game control microcomputer 81 performs a pre-judgment of a jackpot by referring to the high probability state table in the jackpot judgment table T1 (FIG. 8) (step S302). Specifically, the game control microcomputer 81 first acquires a jackpot random number value as a judgment value temporarily stored in the pre-judgment buffer by the special chart 2 related random number acquisition process (FIG. 17: step S208). Next, the game control microcomputer 81 performs a pre-judgment of whether or not a jackpot has been won by using the jackpot judgment table T1 (FIG. 8) and the jackpot random number value to be referred to. Here, since the probability state is high (the probability flag is ON), the game control microcomputer 81 refers to the high probability state table (the jackpot determination value is "0" to "649") in the jackpot determination table T1 to determine in advance whether or not there is a jackpot. That is, when the jackpot random number value is "0" to "649", it is determined in advance as a "jackpot", and when it is any other value, it is determined in advance as a "miss". In this embodiment, the jackpot determination table T1 used in the jackpot determination process (FIG. 23) described later is used to perform the pre-determination, but in other embodiments, a jackpot determination table for pre-determination different from the jackpot determination table T1 may be used to perform the pre-determination.

If the result of the jackpot pre-determination is "miss" (step S304: NO), the process skips to step S306. On the other hand, if the result of the jackpot pre-determination is "jackpot" (step S304: YES), the game control microcomputer 81 performs a jackpot type pre-determination (step S305). In the jackpot type pre-determination, the game control microcomputer 81 first acquires a jackpot type random number value as a determination value temporarily stored in the pre-determination buffer by the special chart 2 related random number acquisition process (FIG. 17: step S208). Next, the game control microcomputer 81 performs a pre-determination of the jackpot type based on the acquired jackpot type random number value and the jackpot type determination table T5 (FIG. 9). Here, regardless of whether the jackpot type random number value is "0" to "127", the pre-determination is "16RV passing scheduled jackpot". In this embodiment, the pre-determination is performed using the jackpot type determination table T5 used in the jackpot determination process (FIG. 23) described later, but in other embodiments, the pre-determination may be performed using a jackpot type determination table for pre-determination that is different from the jackpot type determination table T5.

In step S306, the game control microcomputer 81 performs a pre-determination of the fluctuation pattern. Specifically, the game control microcomputer 81 first obtains the fluctuation pattern random number value and the reach random number value as the judgment value temporarily stored in the pre-determination buffer by the special chart 2 related random number acquisition process (FIG. 17: step S208). Next, since the time-saving state (time-saving flag is ON) is in effect here, the game control microcomputer 81 refers to the fluctuation pattern determination table T6 for the time-saving state (FIG. 11) and specifies the fluctuation pattern from the jackpot pre-determination result of step S304, the reach pre-determination result obtained from the reach random number value, and the fluctuation pattern random number value. In addition, in the fluctuation pattern determination table T6 in FIG. 11, the fluctuation pattern selected may differ depending on the number of reserved balls. Here, it is assumed that all fluctuation patterns that may be selected depending on the number of reserved balls are selected. For example, if a reach or miss is determined in advance based on the jackpot advance determination result and the reach/no reach advance determination result, and the fluctuation pattern random number value is "60", the game control microcomputer 81 selects two patterns: fluctuation pattern "P64" which is selected if the number of reserved balls is "1 to 2", and fluctuation pattern "P68" which is selected if the number of reserved balls is "3 to 4". In this embodiment, the advance determination is performed using the fluctuation pattern determination table T6 used in the fluctuation pattern selection process (FIGS. 24 and 25) described later, but in other embodiments, the advance determination may be performed using a fluctuation pattern determination table for advance determination that is different from the fluctuation pattern determination table T6.

In step S307, the game control microcomputer 81 creates a pre-determination command. The pre-determination command includes the jackpot pre-determination result (in the case of a win, the jackpot type pre-determination result) and the fluctuation pattern pre-determination result. The game control microcomputer 81 sets the created pre-determination command in the command set area 84a of the main RAM 84 (step S308), and ends this process.

[Special Figure 1 Pre-judgment Processing]
FIG. 19 is a flow chart of the special chart 1 pre-judgment process (FIG. 17: step S214). The game control microcomputer 81 first judges whether the probability variable flag is ON or not (step S401). Contrary to the above-mentioned special chart 2 pre-judgment process, if the probability variable flag is ON (step S401: YES), this process is terminated. That is, if the probability variable flag is ON, pre-judgment is not performed. On the other hand, if the probability variable flag is OFF (step S401: NO), the game control microcomputer 81 performs a jackpot pre-judgment by referring to the table for the normal probability state in the jackpot judgment table T1 (FIG. 8) (step S402). Specifically, the game control microcomputer 81 first acquires a jackpot random number value as a judgment value temporarily stored in the pre-judgment buffer by the special chart 1 related random number acquisition process (FIG. 17: step S213). Next, since the state is normal probability (the probability flag is OFF), the game control microcomputer 81 pre-determines whether or not there is a jackpot based on the table for normal probability (the jackpot determination value is "0" to "164") in the jackpot determination table T1. That is, when the jackpot random number value is "0" to "164", it is pre-determined as a "jackpot", and when it is any other value, it is pre-determined as a "miss". Note that the jackpot pre-determination may use a jackpot determination table for pre-determination that is different from the jackpot determination table T1. The process of steps S404 to S408 is the same as steps S304 to S308 of the special chart 2 pre-determination process (FIG. 18) described above, so the description will be omitted.

[Normal operation processing]
FIG. 20 is a flow chart of the normal operation process (FIG. 16: step S104). The game control microcomputer 81 first judges whether the electric chute 22 is in operation (step S501). If the electric chute 22 is in operation (step S501: YES), the process proceeds to step S520. If the electric chute 22 is not in operation (step S501: NO), the game control microcomputer 81 judges whether the normal pattern is changing (step S502). If the normal pattern is changing (step S502: YES), the process skips to step S508. If the normal pattern is not changing (step S502: NO), the game control microcomputer 81 judges whether the number of reserved balls of the normal pattern is "0" (step S503). If the number of reserved balls is "0" (step S503: YES), the process ends. If the number of reserved balls is 1 or more (step S503: NO), the number of reserved balls of normal symbols is decremented by 1 (step S504). Therefore, when the game ball passes through the gate 28 with the number of reserved balls of normal symbols being "0", the number of reserved balls of normal symbols becomes "1" once in step S203 of the start hole sensor detection process (FIG. 17), and then the reserved balls are consumed in this step S504, and the reserved balls of normal symbols immediately become "0". This is the same for the number of reserved balls of special symbols. That is, in steps S207 and S212 of the start hole sensor detection process (FIG. 17), the reserved balls of special symbols become "1" once, and then the reserved balls are consumed in steps S1404 and S1410 of the special symbol waiting process (FIG. 22) described later, and the reserved balls of special symbols become "0". Next, the game control microcomputer 81 performs a win judgment by referring to the normal symbol win judgment table T3 (FIG. 8(C)) (step S505). Specifically, the game control microcomputer 81 first reads out the normal symbol random number value (win random number value) stored as a judgment value in the first memory area (corresponding to the first normal symbol reserved) of the normal symbol reserved memory area 86. Then, it judges whether or not there is a win by using the normal symbol random number value, the game state (whether or not there is a time-saving state), and the normal symbol win judgment table T3. For example, in the non-time-saving state, if the normal symbol random number value is "0" to "2", it is judged as a "win", and if the normal symbol random number value is other than that, it is judged as a "lose" (see FIG. 8(C)).

Next, the game control microcomputer 81 refers to the normal symbol fluctuation pattern determination table T4 (FIG. 8 (D)) to select a fluctuation pattern (step S506). Specifically, the game control microcomputer 81 first determines the game state (whether or not the time-saving state) and selects the normal symbol fluctuation time as the normal symbol fluctuation pattern using the game state determination result and the normal symbol fluctuation pattern determination table T4. Here, in the non-time-saving state, the normal symbol fluctuation time is determined to be "30 seconds," and in the time-saving state, the normal symbol fluctuation time is determined to be "1 second" (see FIG. 8 (D)). The game control microcomputer 81 sets the selected normal symbol fluctuation pattern to start displaying the normal symbol fluctuation (step S507).

In step S508, the game control microcomputer 81 determines whether the normal symbol fluctuation time has elapsed and ended. The normal symbol fluctuation time is the fluctuation time selected in step S506 (see FIG. 8 (D)). If the fluctuation time has not ended (step S508: NO), the game control microcomputer 81 ends this process. That is, the normal symbol fluctuation display continues. On the other hand, if the fluctuation time has ended (step S508: YES), the game control microcomputer 81 stops the fluctuation display (step S509), and if the above-mentioned hit determination (step S505) is a "miss" (step S510: NO), this process ends. On the other hand, if the above-mentioned hit determination is a "win" (step S510: YES), the game control microcomputer 81 sets the electric chute opening pattern (step S511). The opening pattern of the electric chute 22 is selected by referring to the electric chute opening pattern determination table T7 (Figure 12 (A)). Specifically, the game control microcomputer 81 determines the game state (whether or not it is in a time-saving state), and selects the opening pattern of the electric chute 22 using the game state determination result and the electric chute opening pattern determination table T7. Here, when it is in a non-time-saving state, "opening pattern 11" is selected, and when it is in a time-saving state, "opening pattern 12" is selected. After selecting the opening pattern, the game control microcomputer 81 starts the operation of the electric chute in accordance with the selected opening pattern (step S512), and ends this process.

In the above-mentioned step S501, if the electric chute 22 is in operation (step S501: YES), the game control microcomputer 81 judges whether the closing condition of the electric chute 22 is satisfied (step S520). The closing condition here is that either the number of winning balls in the electric chute 22 has reached a specified maximum number of winning balls (for example, 6 balls) or the operation time of the electric chute 22 has elapsed and it has become time to close the electric chute 22. The operation time of the electric chute 22 is the operation time corresponding to the opening pattern selected in step S511. If the closing condition of the electric chute 22 is not satisfied (step S520: NO), the game control microcomputer 81 ends this process. On the other hand, if the closing condition of the electric chute 22 is satisfied (step S520: YES), the game control microcomputer 81 closes (blocks) the electric chute 22 to stop its operation (step S521), and ends this process.

[Special Action Processing]
FIG. 21 is a flow chart of the special operation process (FIG. 16: step S105). Here, the process related to the special symbol display 41 and the big prize device (first big prize device 31 and second big prize device 36) is divided into four stages, and each stage is called "1", "2", "3", and "4" of the "special operation status". When the "special operation status" is "1" (step S1301: YES), the game control microcomputer 81 performs a special symbol standby process (step S1302). In the special symbol standby process, a big win determination, a change pattern selection, and the like are executed. When the "special operation status" is "2" (step S1301: NO, step S1303: YES), a special symbol change process is executed (step S1304). In the special symbol change process, a change stop command is output after the change time has elapsed. When the "special operation status" is "3" (steps S1301, S1303: NO, step S1305: YES), a special symbol determination process is performed (step S1306). In the special symbol determination process, an opening command is output when a jackpot occurs. When the "special operation status" is "4" (steps S1301, S1303, S1305: NO), a special electric device process is performed (step S1308). In the special electric device process, a jackpot game is executed. Details of each of the above processes will be described later. The initial setting of the special operation status is "1".

[Special symbol standby process]
FIG. 22 is a flowchart of the special symbol waiting process (FIG. 21: step S1302). In the special symbol waiting process, the game control microcomputer 81 first judges whether the number of reserved balls of the special symbol 2 is "0" or not (step S1401). If the number of reserved balls of the special symbol 2 is "0" (step S1401: YES), that is, if the second special symbol reserved memory area 85b does not store a random number group acquired due to winning the second starting hole 21, the process proceeds to step S1407. If the number of reserved balls of the special symbol 2 is "1" or more (step S1401: NO), the game control microcomputer 81 executes a jackpot determination process (step S1402) and a variable pattern selection process (step S1403). Details of these processes will be described later. After the variable pattern selection process, the number of reserved balls of the special symbol 2 is decremented by one (step S1404). Next, the game control microcomputer 81 shifts the storage location of reserved information (various random numbers) stored in the first to fourth storage areas of the second special chart reserved storage area 85b from the current position to the side to be read, and clears the reserved information stored in the farthest location from the side to be read in the second special chart reserved storage area 85b (step S1405). For example, when reserved information is stored in the first to third storage areas, the reserved information stored in the third storage area is cleared, and when reserved information is stored in the first to fourth storage areas, the reserved information stored in the fourth storage area is cleared. By the above steps, the reserved second special charts are consumed in the order in which they were reserved. In this case, on the display screen 7a of the image display device 7, the reserved image 9B (the leftmost reserved image 9B among the four reserved images 9B) corresponding to the first storage area of the second special chart reserved storage area 85b is shifted to the reserved consumption image display area side and is displayed as the reserved consumption image 9C. Also, the reserved images 9B (the second, third, and fourth reserved images 9B from the left out of the four reserved images 9B) corresponding to the second to fourth storage areas of the second special symbol reserved storage area 85b are shifted one to the left (FIG. 1). This allows the player to recognize that one second special symbol reservation has been consumed. Next, the game control microcomputer 81 performs special symbol 2 variation start processing (step S1406). In the special symbol 2 variation start processing, a variation start command is set in the command set area 84a of the main RAM 84, the variation display of the second special symbol is started, and the variation time timer is set. The variation time timer is set to a variation time determined according to the variation pattern selected in the variation pattern selection processing. Also, the game control microcomputer 81 sets the special operation status to "2". In addition, the fluctuation start command (special chart 2 fluctuation start command) set in the special chart 2 fluctuation start process includes information regarding the special chart stop pattern data set in the jackpot determination process (step S1402) and information regarding the fluctuation pattern set in the fluctuation pattern selection process (step S1403) (including information regarding the fluctuation time).

In step S1401, if the number of reserved balls in the special chart 2 is "0" (step S1401: YES), the game control microcomputer 81 judges whether the number of reserved balls in the special chart 1 is "0" or not (step S1407). If the number of reserved balls in the special chart 1 is "0" (step S1407: YES), that is, if the first special chart reserved memory area 85a does not store a random number group obtained due to winning the first starting hole 20, the process proceeds to step S1413. If the number of reserved balls in the special chart 1 is "1" or more (step S1407: NO), the game control microcomputer 81 executes a jackpot determination process (step S1408) and a variation pattern selection process (step S1409). Details of these processes will be described later. After the variation pattern selection process, the number of reserved balls in the special chart 1 is decremented by one (step S1410). Next, the game control microcomputer 81 shifts the storage location of various random numbers stored in the first to fourth storage areas of the first special chart reserved storage area 85a from the current position to the side to be read, and clears the reserved information stored in the farthest location from the side to be read in the first special chart reserved storage area 85a (step S1411). Through the above steps, the first special chart reserved is consumed in the order in which it was reserved. In this case, on the display screen 7a of the image display device 7, the reserved image 9A (the reserved image 9A at the right end of the four reserved images 9A) corresponding to the first storage area of the first special chart reserved storage area 85a is shifted to the reserved consumption image display area side and is displayed as a reserved consumption image 9C. In addition, the reserved images 9A (the second, third, and fourth reserved images 9A from the left of the four reserved images 9A) corresponding to the second to fourth storage areas of the first special chart reserved storage area 85a are each shifted one position to the right (FIG. 1). This allows the player to recognize that one first special chart reserved has been consumed. Next, the game control microcomputer 81 performs special symbol 1 variation start processing (step S1412). In the special symbol 1 variation start processing, a variation start command is set in the command set area 84a of the main RAM 84, the variation display of the first special symbol is started, and the variation time timer is set. The variation time timer is set to a variation time determined according to the variation pattern selected in the variation pattern selection processing. In addition, the game control microcomputer 81 sets the special operation status to "2" (step S1406). Note that the variation start command (special symbol 1 variation start command) set in the special symbol 1 variation start processing includes information on the special symbol stop pattern data set in the big win determination processing (step S1408) and information on the variation pattern set in the variation pattern selection processing (step S1409) (including information on the variation time).

In step S1407, if the number of reserved balls for special symbol 1 is "0" (step S1407: YES), the game control microcomputer 81 judges whether the display screen 7a of the image display device 7 is a waiting screen or not (step S1413). The waiting screen is a demo screen for waiting for customers. The game control microcomputer 81 may judge, for example, by the ON/OFF of the demo screen display flag for waiting for customers. If it is a waiting screen (step S1413: YES), this process ends. If it is not a waiting screen (step S1413: NO), the game control microcomputer 81 waits for a predetermined waiting time to elapse, sets a customer waiting waiting command for displaying a waiting scene in the command set area 84a of the main RAM 84 (step S1414), and ends this process. As described above, according to the special symbol waiting process of this embodiment, the variable display of the special symbol based on the first special symbol reservation is executed only when the second special symbol reservation is "0". That is, the consumption of the second reserved special chart is executed with priority over the consumption of the first reserved special chart. Also, according to the jackpot type determination table T5 of this embodiment, the lottery based on the second reserved special chart makes it easier for the player to win a jackpot (a jackpot scheduled to pass V) that is more profitable for the player than the lottery based on the first reserved special chart.

[Jackpot detection process]
FIG. 23 is a flow chart of the jackpot determination process (FIG. 22: steps S1402, S1408). The jackpot determination process for special chart 2 (step S1402) and the jackpot determination process for special chart 1 (step S1408) are similar in process flow, so they will be described together. In the jackpot determination process, the game control microcomputer 81 first determines whether the probability variable flag is ON (step S1501). If the probability variable flag is ON (step S1501: YES), the game control microcomputer 81 performs the jackpot determination by referring to the high probability state table in the jackpot determination table T1 (FIG. 8) (step S1502). Specifically, the game control microcomputer 81 first reads out the jackpot random number value as the determination value. For example, in the jackpot determination process for special chart 2, the jackpot random number value stored in the first storage area (corresponding to the first one of the second special chart reserved) of the second special chart reserved storage area 85b is read out. In the jackpot determination process for special chart 1, the jackpot random number stored in the first storage area (corresponding to the first reserved first special chart) of the first special chart reserved storage area 85a is read. Next, the game control microcomputer 81 determines whether or not a jackpot has occurred by using the jackpot determination table T1 and the jackpot random number value to which it refers. Here, since the probability of a jackpot is high (the probability flag is ON), the jackpot determination is determined based on the table for the high probability state (the jackpot determination value is "0" to "649") in the jackpot determination table T1.

In step S1501, if the probability change flag is OFF (step S1501: NO), the game control microcomputer 81 performs a jackpot determination by referring to the table for the normal probability state in the jackpot determination table T1 (FIG. 8) (step S1504). Specifically, the game control microcomputer 81 first reads out the jackpot random number value in the same manner as in step S1502. Next, since the normal probability state (probability change flag is OFF) is being assumed here, it determines whether or not a jackpot has occurred based on the table for the normal probability state (the jackpot determination value is "0" to "164") in the jackpot determination table T1.

If the result of the jackpot determination is "jackpot" (steps S1503, S1505: YES), the game control microcomputer 81 turns on the jackpot flag (step S1506) and determines the type of jackpot (step S1507). Specifically, the game control microcomputer 81 first reads out the jackpot type random number value as a determination value. For example, in the jackpot determination process for special chart 2, the jackpot type random number value stored in the first storage area of the second special chart reserved storage area 85b is read out. In the jackpot determination process for special chart 1, the jackpot type random number value stored in the first storage area of the first special chart reserved storage area 85a is read out. Next, the game control microcomputer 81 determines the type of jackpot based on the read out jackpot type random number value and the jackpot type determination table T5 (FIG. 9). After determining the type of jackpot, the special stop pattern data (FIG. 9) corresponding to the identified jackpot type is set in the jackpot type buffer provided in the main RAM 84 (step S1520), and this process ends. On the other hand, in step S1503 or step S1505, if the result of the jackpot determination is "miss," the special stop pattern data (01H) corresponding to the miss pattern is set in the jackpot type buffer provided in the main RAM 84 (step S1520), and this process ends.

[Variation pattern selection process]
24 and 25 are flow charts of the variation pattern selection process (FIG. 22: steps S1403, S1409). The variation pattern selection process of the special chart 2 (step S1403) and the variation pattern selection process of the special chart 1 (step S1409) are similar in flow of processing, so they will be described together. In the variation pattern selection process, first, the game control microcomputer 81 judges whether the game state is in a time-saving state or not (step S1600). The judgment of whether the game state is in a time-saving state or not is made by whether the time-saving flag is ON or not. If the game state is in a time-saving state (step S1600: YES), the process proceeds to step S1612. If the game state is not in a time-saving state (step S1600: NO), the game control microcomputer 81 judges whether the jackpot flag is ON or not (step S1602). If the jackpot flag is OFF (step S1602: NO), the process proceeds to step S1607. When the jackpot flag is ON (step S1602: YES), the game control microcomputer 81 judges whether the jackpot is a special symbol 2 or not (step S1603). When the jackpot is a special symbol 2 (step S1603: YES), the jackpot type is always a V-passing jackpot, so the process skips to step S1605. When the jackpot is a special symbol 1 (step S1603: NO), the game control microcomputer 81 judges whether the jackpot type is a V-passing jackpot or not (step S1604). The jackpot type is judged based on the special symbol stop pattern data set in the main RAM 84.

When the jackpot type is a V-passing jackpot (step S1604: YES), the game control microcomputer 81 selects a fluctuation pattern by referring to the table for non-time-saving state V-passing jackpots in the fluctuation pattern determination table T6 (FIG. 10) (step S1605). Specifically, the game control microcomputer 81 first reads out a fluctuation pattern random number value as a judgment value. For example, in the fluctuation pattern selection process for special chart 2, the fluctuation pattern random number value stored in the first storage area (corresponding to the first of the second special chart reserved) of the second special chart reserved storage area 85b is read out. In the fluctuation pattern selection process for special chart 1, the fluctuation pattern random number value stored in the first storage area (corresponding to the first of the first special chart reserved) of the first special chart reserved storage area 85a is read out. Next, the game control microcomputer 81 selects a fluctuation pattern using the fluctuation pattern determination table T6 and the fluctuation pattern random number value. Here, as a table for a non-time-saving state V-passing jackpot, the portion of the non-time-saving state fluctuation pattern determination table T6 shown in FIG. 10 that corresponds to a V-passing jackpot (the portion with fluctuation patterns "P1" to "P3" in special chart 1, and the portion with fluctuation patterns "P21" to "P23" in special chart 2) is referenced (the address is set). From the read fluctuation pattern random number value, one of "P1" to "P3" is selected as the fluctuation pattern in special chart 1, and one of "P21" to "P23" is selected in special chart 2.

If the jackpot type is a V non-passing scheduled jackpot (step S1604: NO), the game control microcomputer 81 refers to the table for a non-time-saving state V non-passing scheduled jackpot in the fluctuation pattern determination table T6 (Figure 10) to select a fluctuation pattern (step S1606). Here, as the table for a non-time-saving state V non-passing scheduled jackpot, the portion of the fluctuation pattern determination table T6 for the non-time-saving state shown in Figure 10 that corresponds to a V non-passing scheduled jackpot (the portion "P4" to "P6"). From the read fluctuation pattern random number value, one of "P4" to "P6" is selected as the fluctuation pattern.

In step S1602, if the jackpot flag is OFF (step S1602: NO), the game control microcomputer 81 judges whether the reach random number value is a reach establishment random number value or not (step S1607). Specifically, the game control microcomputer 81 first reads the reach random number value as a judgment value. In the variation pattern selection process of the special chart 2, the reach random number value stored in the first memory area (corresponding to the first of the second special chart reserved) of the second special chart reserved memory area 85b is read. In the variation pattern selection process of the special chart 1, the reach random number value stored in the first memory area (corresponding to the first of the first special chart reserved) of the first special chart reserved memory area 85a is read. Next, the game control microcomputer 81 judges whether or not there is a reach using the reach judgment table T2 (FIG. 8(B)) and the reach random number value. In this case, since the time-saving state is not in effect, the presence or absence of a reach is determined based on the table for the non-time-saving state (the portion of the reach determination value (reach establishment random number value) between "0" and "13") in the reach determination table T2.

If the reach random number is a reach establishment random number (step S1607: YES), that is, in the case of a reach with miss, the game control microcomputer 81 refers to the table for reach with miss in the non-time-saving state in the fluctuation pattern determination table T6 (Fig. 10) and selects the fluctuation pattern (step S1608). Here, as the table for reach with miss in the non-time-saving state, the part corresponding to reach with miss (the part with the fluctuation pattern "P7" to "P14" in the special chart 1, and the part with the fluctuation pattern "P24" to "P31" in the special chart 2) in the fluctuation pattern determination table T6 for the non-time-saving state shown in Fig. 10 is referred to. In the special chart 1, one of the fluctuation patterns "P7" to "P14" is selected as the fluctuation pattern from the read fluctuation pattern random number value and the current number of reserved balls in the special chart 1 (1 to 4). In Special Chart 2, one of the patterns "P24" to "P31" is selected as the pattern from the read-out random number value for the pattern and the current number of reserved balls for Special Chart 2 (1 to 4). Since the pattern selected changes depending on the number of reserved balls, a shortened pattern function is activated according to the number of reserved balls. In other words, in both Special Chart 1 and Special Chart 2, when the number of reserved balls is "3" to "4", more patterns with shorter change times are selected than when the number of reserved balls is "1" to "2". This makes it possible to speed up the consumption of reserved special charts when there are a large number of reserved balls.

If the reach random number is not a reach establishment random number (step S1607: NO), that is, in the case of a miss without a reach, the game control microcomputer 81 refers to the table for a miss without a reach in the non-time-saving state in the fluctuation pattern determination table T6 (Fig. 10) and selects a fluctuation pattern (step S1609). Here, as the table for a miss without a reach in the non-time-saving state, the part corresponding to a miss without a reach (the part with the fluctuation pattern "P15" to "P16" in the special chart 1, and the part with the fluctuation pattern "P32" to "P33" in the special chart 2) in the fluctuation pattern determination table T6 for the non-time-saving state shown in Fig. 10 is referred to. In the special chart 1, either "P15" or "P16" is selected as the fluctuation pattern from the read fluctuation pattern random number value and the current number of reserved balls in the special chart 1 (1 to 4). In the special chart 2, either "P32" or "P33" is selected as the variation pattern based on the read variation pattern random number value and the current number of reserved balls in the special chart 2 (1 to 4). Here too, the variation pattern selected changes depending on the number of reserved balls, so the shortened variation function according to the number of reserved balls is activated.

If it is determined in step S1600 that the game state is in the time-saving state, the game control microcomputer 81 determines whether the jackpot flag is ON or not (FIG. 25: step S1612). Thereafter, the processing of steps S1613 to S1619 is the same as the processing of steps S1603 to S1609 described above, except for the following points, so explanations will be omitted. The difference between the processing of steps S1613 to S1619 and the processing of steps S1603 to S1609 is that the part of the fluctuation pattern determination table T6 referenced in steps S1615, S1616, S1618, and S1619 is different from that of the already-described steps S1605, S1606, S1608, and S1609. Specifically, in S1605, S1606, S1608, and S1609, the fluctuation pattern determination table T6 (FIG. 10) for the non-time-saving state is referenced, whereas in steps S1615, S1616, S1618, and S1619, the fluctuation pattern determination table T6 (FIG. 11) for the time-saving state is referenced. For example, in the case of step S1615, that is, when the jackpot type is a V-passing jackpot, the part corresponding to the V-passing jackpot (the part with the fluctuation pattern "P41" to "P43" in the special chart 1, and the part with the fluctuation pattern "P61" to "P63" in the special chart 2) of the fluctuation pattern determination table T6 for the time-saving state shown in FIG. 11 is referenced. From the read fluctuation pattern random number value, one of "P41" to "P43" is selected as the fluctuation pattern in the special chart 1, and one of "P61" to "P63" is selected as the fluctuation pattern in the special chart 2. Also, for example, in the case of step S1616, that is, when the jackpot type is a V non-passing scheduled jackpot, the portion of the fluctuation pattern determination table T6 for the time-saving state shown in FIG. 11 that corresponds to the V non-passing scheduled jackpot (the portion "P44" to "P46") is referenced. From the read fluctuation pattern random number value, one of "P44" to "P46" is selected as the fluctuation pattern.

After selecting the variation pattern as described above, the game control microcomputer 81 sets the selected variation pattern (step S1630) and ends this process. Information on the set variation pattern is included in a variation start command and is sent to the sub-control board 90 in the output process (Figure 16: step S108). This starts the variation display of the special symbol.

[Special pattern change processing]
FIG. 26 is a flow chart of the special symbol variation process (FIG. 21: step S1304). The game control microcomputer 81 first judges whether the variation time of the special symbol has elapsed and ended (step S1701). The variation time of the special symbol is a variation time determined according to the variation pattern selected in the variation pattern selection process (FIG. 24, FIG. 25) described above. If the variation time has not ended (step S1701: NO), this process is terminated. That is, the variation display of the special symbol started in step S1406 or S1412 of the special symbol standby process (FIG. 22) is continued. On the other hand, if the variation time has ended (step S1701: YES), a variation stop command is set (step S1702), and the special operation status is set to "3" (step S1703). In addition, the game control microcomputer 81 performs other processes associated with the variation stop (step S1704). For example, the game control microcomputer 81 performs a process of stopping the variable display of the special symbol at a symbol corresponding to the set special symbol stop symbol data, etc. After that, the game control microcomputer 81 ends this process.

[Special design confirmation process]
FIG. 27 is a flow chart of the special symbol determination process (FIG. 21: step S1306). The game control microcomputer 81 first performs a game status management process (step S1801). The game status management process is a process for managing the number of STs and the number of time-saving times, and the details of which will be described later. After the game status management process, it is determined whether the jackpot flag is ON (step S1802). If the jackpot flag is OFF (step S1802: NO), the game control microcomputer 81 sets the special operation status to "1" (step S1808) and ends this process. As a result, the jackpot game is not started, and the process moves to the special symbol waiting process (FIG. 22) again, and the jackpot determination for the next reserved game is executed.

If the jackpot flag is ON (step S1802: YES), the game control microcomputer 81 sets the opening pattern of the large prize opening and the V-shaped opening member according to the type of the jackpot that has been won (step S1803). Specifically, the game control microcomputer 81 refers to the large prize opening opening pattern determination table T8 (FIG. 13), determines the opening pattern of the large prize opening from the special symbol stop pattern data, and sets the determined opening pattern. For example, when the special symbol stop pattern data is "11H", "opening pattern 21" is set as the opening pattern of the large prize opening. In addition, the game control microcomputer 81 refers to the V-shaped opening and closing member opening pattern determination table T9 (FIG. 14), determines the opening pattern of the V-shaped opening and closing member 71 from the special symbol stop pattern data, and sets the determined opening pattern. For example, when the special symbol stop pattern data is "11H", "opening pattern 31" is set as the opening pattern of the V-shaped opening and closing member 71. Along with setting the opening pattern of the big prize opening and the V-shaped opening/closing member, the round counter value is set to the number of rounds according to the type of big win that was won. The round counter counts the number of unit opening games (round games) that were executed during the big win game. In this case, the round counter is set to "16" (Figure 13 (B)).

After setting the opening pattern, the game control microcomputer 81 performs a game state reset process (step S1804). The game state reset process is a process for resetting (returning to OFF) the probability bonus flag and time-saving flag, and will be described later. After the game state reset process, in order to start a jackpot game, a jackpot opening command is set (step S1805), and opening is started (step S1806). Thereafter, the special operation status is set to "4" (step S1807), and this process ends.

[Game Status Management Processing]
FIG. 28 is a flow chart of the game state management process (FIG. 27: step S1801). The game control microcomputer 81 first judges whether the probability variable flag is ON or not (step S2001). If the probability variable flag is OFF (step S2001: NO), the process skips to step S2010. If the probability variable flag is ON (step S2001: YES), the value of the probability variable counter is decremented by 1 (step S2002). The probability variable counter counts the number of times the special pattern is changed during the high probability state. Here, the probability variable counter is set to "100" when the state transitions to the high probability state. The game control microcomputer 81 judges whether the counter value becomes "0" as a result of decrementing the probability variable counter by 1 (step S2003). If the value of the probability variable counter is not "0" (step S2003: NO), the process skips to step S2005. If the value of the high probability counter is "0" (step S2003: YES), the high probability flag is switched to OFF (step S2004).

In step S2005, the game control microcomputer 81 determines whether the time-saving flag is ON or not. If the time-saving flag is OFF (step S2005: NO), the process skips to step S2009. If the time-saving flag is ON (step S2005: YES), the value of the time-saving counter is decremented by 1 (step S2006). The time-saving counter counts the number of times the special pattern changes during the time-saving state. Here, the time-saving counter is set to "100" when the time-saving state is entered. The game control microcomputer 81 determines whether the counter value has become "0" as a result of decrementing the time-saving counter by 1 (step S2007). If the value of the time-saving counter is not "0" (step S2007: NO), the process skips to step S2009. If the time-saving counter value is "0" (step S2007: YES), the time-saving flag is switched to OFF (step S2008).

In step S2009, the game control microcomputer 81 sets the game state designation command in the command set area (output buffer) 84a of the main RAM 84, and ends this process. The game state designation command includes information about the set current game state (whether the ceiling flag is ON or not, the ceiling counter value, whether or not the game is in a special state, the special state counter value, whether or not the game is in a time-saving state, the time-saving counter value, etc.).

In step S2010, the game control microcomputer 81 judges whether the ceiling flag is ON or not. If the ceiling flag is OFF (step S2010: NO), the process skips to step S2005. If the ceiling flag is ON (step S2010: YES), the value of the ceiling counter is decremented by 1 (step S2011). The ceiling counter is for counting the specified number of rotations until the b time reduction (play time) is reached, and counts the number of times the special pattern changes when the ceiling flag is ON (during the low probability state). Here, when the ceiling flag is set to ON, the ceiling counter is set to "500" as the specified number of rotations. The game control microcomputer 81 judges whether the counter value becomes "0" as a result of decrementing the ceiling counter by 1 (step S2012). In other words, it judges whether the specified number of rotations until the b time reduction (play time) is reached has elapsed. If the value of the ceiling counter is not "0" (step S2012: NO), the process skips to step S2005. If the value of the probability bonus counter is "0" (step S2012: YES), the time-saving flag is switched ON (step S2013), and the time-saving counter is set to "700" as the number of time-saving times (number of times awarded). Then, the ceiling flag is switched OFF (step S2015). After that, the process of step S2009 is executed.

[Game Status Reset Processing]
FIG. 29 is a flow chart of the game state reset process (FIG. 27: step S1804). The game control microcomputer 81 first judges whether the high probability flag is ON or not (step S2101). If the high probability flag is OFF (step S2101: NO), the process skips to step S2103. If the high probability flag is ON (step S2101: YES), the high probability flag is switched OFF (step S2102). In step S2103, the game control microcomputer 81 judges whether the time-saving flag is ON or not. If the time-saving flag is OFF (step S2103: NO), the process skips to 2105. If the time-saving flag is ON (step S2103: YES), the time-saving flag is switched OFF (step S2104). In step S2105, the game control microcomputer 81 judges whether the ceiling flag is ON or not. If the ceiling flag is OFF (step S2105: NO), this process is terminated. If the ceiling flag is ON (step S2105: YES), the ceiling flag is switched to OFF (step S2106). In other words, during the execution of a jackpot game, the ceiling flag is OFF in a non-high probability state and a non-time-saving state. In the gaming machine 1, since the non-time-saving state is always in a low base state, the low base state is maintained during the execution of a jackpot game.

[Special electric accessory processing]
FIG. 30 is a flow chart of the special electric device processing (FIG. 21: step S1308). The game control microcomputer 81 first judges whether the big win end flag is ON or not (step S2200). The "big win end flag" is a flag indicating that the opening of all the big win devices (first big win device 31 and second big win device 36) based on the opening pattern in the ongoing big win game has ended. If the big win end flag is ON (step S2200: YES), the process proceeds to step S2230. If the big win end flag is OFF (step S2200: NO), the V opening and closing member operation process is performed to operate the V opening and closing member 71 (step S2201). The V-shaped opening/closing member 71 of this embodiment is configured to operate when a predetermined number of game balls enter the first large winning opening 30, and in the V-shaped opening/closing member operation process, the V-shaped opening/closing member 71 is opened for a predetermined period of time when a predetermined number of game balls enter according to the V-shaped opening/closing member opening pattern T9. Details of the V-shaped opening/closing member operation process will be described later. After the V-shaped opening/closing member operation process, the game control microcomputer 81 determines whether the large winning openings (the first large winning opening 30 and the second large winning opening 35) are open or not (step S2202). If they are open (step S2202: YES), the process proceeds to step S2210.

If the large prize opening is not open (step S2202: NO), the game control microcomputer 81 determines whether it is time (timing) to open the large prize opening (step S2203). The time to open the large prize opening includes, for example, when the opening time for the large prize opening has elapsed and it is time to start opening for the first round of play, and when the interval time (closing time) until the large prize opening is temporarily closed after opening has elapsed and it is time to start opening again. If it is not time to open the large prize opening (step S2203: NO), the process proceeds to step S2220.

If it is time (timing) to open the big prize opening (step S2203: YES), the game control microcomputer 81 performs the big prize opening opening process (step S2207). Specifically, the game control microcomputer 81 opens the big prize opening (first big prize opening 30 or second big prize opening 35) according to the opening pattern (FIG. 13) according to the type of big prize. After the big prize opening opening process, the game control microcomputer 81 sets a round designation command (step S2208). The round designation command includes information regarding the number of rounds of the big prize game being executed, and the game control microcomputer 81 sets the round designation command in the output buffer of the main RAM 84. In this embodiment, the big prize opening is not opened multiple times during one round of game. However, in another embodiment, when the large prize opening is opened multiple times during one round of play, the game control microcomputer 81 may determine whether the large prize opening is the first opening during one round, and set the round designation command only if it is the first opening. After setting the round designation command, this process ends.

In the above-mentioned step S2202, if the large prize opening is open (step S2202: YES), the game control microcomputer 81 judges whether the closing condition of the large prize opening is satisfied (step S2210). The closing condition here is that either the number of winnings in the large prize opening in that round of play has reached a specified maximum number of winnings (e.g., 9 winnings per round), or the time to close the large prize opening has arrived (i.e., a predetermined opening time (FIG. 13) has elapsed since the large prize opening was opened) is satisfied. If the closing condition of the large prize opening is not satisfied (step S2210: NO), the game control microcomputer 81 ends this process. On the other hand, if the closing condition of the large prize opening is satisfied (step S2210: YES), the game control microcomputer 81 closes (blocks) the large prize opening (step S2211).

If it is not the time (timing) to open the large prize opening in step S2203 described above, the game control microcomputer 81 judges whether the round of play has ended (step S2220). Here, one round ends a predetermined time (here, 2 seconds) after the large prize opening is closed. As described above, this is because the time (interval time) for the large prize opening to be closed between rounds of play is included in the open round of play before the closure. The game control microcomputer 81 judges whether the round of play has ended based on whether a predetermined interval time has passed since the large prize opening was closed. If the round of play has not ended (step S2220: NO), the game control microcomputer 81 ends this process.

If the round play has ended (step S2220: YES), the game control microcomputer 81 decrements the round counter by 1 (step S2221) and determines whether the round counter value is "0" or not (step S2226). If the round counter value is not "0" (step S2226: NO), that is, if the specified number of rounds has not yet been played, this process ends in order to start the next round play. On the other hand, if the round counter value is "0", a jackpot ending command is set (step S2227) as a jackpot ending process that ends the jackpot play, and the jackpot ending is started (step S2228). In this embodiment, the ending time (e.g., 18 seconds) when the game ball passes through the V region 39 in the "16R (actual 13R) V-passing scheduled jackpot" is the same length as the ending time when the game ball does not pass through the V region 39 in the "16R (actual 13R) V-non-passing scheduled jackpot". This allows the player to recognize that the game ball did not pass through the V region 39 in the "16R (actual 13R) V-non-passing scheduled jackpot" even if the game ball passed through the V region 39 in the "16R (actual 13R) V-passing scheduled jackpot". Note that the ending time when the game ball did not pass through the V region 39 in the "16R (actual 13R) V-passing scheduled jackpot" is also the same length. After the jackpot ending starts, the jackpot end flag is set to ON (step S2229), and this process ends.

In the above-mentioned step S2200, if the jackpot end flag is ON (step S2200: YES), the final round has ended, so the game control microcomputer 81 determines whether the jackpot ending time has elapsed (step S2230). If the ending time has not elapsed (step S2230: NO), the game control microcomputer 81 ends this process. On the other hand, if the ending time has elapsed (step S2230: YES), the game control microcomputer 81 turns off the jackpot end flag (step S2231), turns off the jackpot flag (step S2232), and sets the special operation status to "1" (step S2233). As a result, in the next special operation process, the special symbol waiting process (step S1302) is executed again. After that, the game state setting process (step S2234) described later is executed, and this process ends.

[V opening/closing member operation process]
FIG. 31 is a flow chart of the V opening/closing member operation process (FIG. 30: step S2201). The game control microcomputer 81 first judges whether the current round game (the relevant round) is the opening round of the V opening/closing member 71 (step S2501). Here, the second round, the fourth round, the sixth round, the eighth round, the tenth round, and the twelfth round correspond to the opening round of the V opening/closing member 71. The game control microcomputer 81 can judge that it is an opening round when the round counter value is "15", "13", "11", "9", "7", or "5". If it is not the opening round of the V opening/closing member 71 (step S2501: NO), this process is terminated. This is because there is no need to operate the V opening/closing member 71 in the relevant round.

If it is the round in which the V-shaped opening/closing member 71 is opened (step S2501: YES), the game control microcomputer 81 judges whether the first winning flag is ON or not (step S2502). The "first winning flag" is a flag indicating that the first ball has won in the first large winning port 30 in the round. If the first winning flag is ON (step S2502: YES), the process proceeds to step S2520. If the first winning flag is OFF (step S2502: NO), the process judges whether the first ball has won (step S2503). If the first ball has not won (step S2503: NO), the process ends. This is because there has been no winning in the first large winning port 30 in the round, and there is no need to operate the V-shaped opening/closing member 71.

When the winning of the first ball is detected (step S2503: YES), the game control microcomputer 81 short-opens the V opening/closing member 71 and performs the V effective period setting process (step S2504). The reason for short-opening the V opening/closing member 71 is to execute a short opening (here, 0.1 seconds) when the first ball wins, regardless of whether the opening pattern of the V opening/closing member 71 (FIG. 14(B)) is "short opening" or "long opening". In addition, in the short opening of the V opening/closing member 71, the opening time of the V opening/closing member 71 is very short, so that the first game ball that wins the first large winning hole 30 passes through the non-V area 70 without passing through the V area 39. In the V effective period setting process, the V effective period during which the V opening/closing member 71 is open and for several seconds after the V opening/closing member 71 is closed is set to be the V effective period during which the detection of the game ball by the V area sensor 39a is valid. Here, the game control microcomputer 81 short-opens the V opening/closing member 71 (here, 0.1 seconds) according to the opening pattern of the V opening/closing member 71 (FIG. 14(B)), and sets the V effective period during the opening of the V opening/closing member 71 and 1 second after closing. The game control microcomputer 81 sets the period other than the V effective period (including when a jackpot game is not being executed) as the V invalid period in which the detection of the game ball by the V area sensor 39a is judged to be invalid. Here, "judging the detection of the game ball by the V area sensor 39a to be valid" means that the V flag is turned ON based on the detection of the game ball by the V area sensor 39a (see the V area sensor detection process (FIG. 33) described later). Also, "judging the detection of the game ball by the V area sensor 39a to be invalid" means that the V flag is not turned ON even if the game ball is detected by the V area sensor 39a. The reason why the V effective period includes several seconds (ball brushing period) after the V opening/closing member 71 is closed is that, since there is a physical distance between the V opening/closing member 71 and the V area sensor 39a, the period until the game ball that entered the V area 39 side just before the V opening/closing member 71 is closed is taken into consideration until it is detected by the V area sensor 39a. That is, here, the V flag is turned ON only when the V passage (passage of the game ball into the V area 39) is detected during the V effective period, and the V flag is not turned ON when the V passage is detected outside the V effective period (V invalid period). When the V flag is ON, the probability variable flag is turned ON, that is, the game state after the big win game is set to a high probability state (see the game state setting process (FIG. 32) described later). By doing so, the V flag is not turned ON based on the V passage due to fraudulent acts and is not set to a high probability state. After the V opening/closing member 71 is short-circuited and the V valid period is set, the game control microcomputer 81 switches the first winning flag to ON (step S2505) and proceeds to step S2540.

In step S2502, if the first winning flag is ON, that is, if the first ball has already won (step S2502: YES), the game control microcomputer 81 judges whether the second winning flag is ON or not (step S2520). The "second winning flag" is a flag indicating that the second ball has won in the first large winning port 30 when the opening pattern of the V opening and closing member 71 in the round is a long opening. If the second winning flag is ON (step S2520: YES), the process proceeds to step S2540. If the second winning flag is OFF (step S2520: NO), the game control microcomputer 81 judges whether the opening pattern of the V opening and closing member 71 in the round is a long opening or not (step S2521). If it is not a long opening (step S2521: NO), that is, if it is a short opening, the process proceeds to step S2540. On the other hand, if the opening is long (step S2521: YES), the game control microcomputer 81 determines whether or not the winning of the second ball has been detected (step S2522). If the winning of the second ball has not been detected (step S2522: NO), the process proceeds to step S2540.

When the winning of the second ball is detected (step S2522: YES), the game control microcomputer 81 opens the V opening/closing member 71 long and performs the V effective period setting process (step S2523). The reason for opening the V opening/closing member 71 long is to execute the long opening (here, maximum 31.5 seconds) when the second ball wins in the case of "long opening" in the opening pattern of the V opening/closing member 71 (FIG. 14 (B)). Note that here, the maximum play time for one round is 31.5 seconds (maximum opening time of the large winning port 29.5 seconds + interval closing time 2 seconds), so generally, the time from the winning of the second ball to the end of the round is shorter than 31.5 seconds. As described later, the V opening/closing member 71 is forcibly closed at the end of the round, so the opening time of the long opening of the V opening/closing member 71 is shorter than 31.5 seconds. However, the long opening of the V opening/closing member 71 is configured such that at least a portion of the second and subsequent game balls that enter the first large winning port 30 pass through the V area 39 because the opening time of the V opening/closing member 71 is relatively long. In the V valid period setting process, the game control microcomputer 81 sets the V valid period while the V opening/closing member 71 is open, and sets the V invalid period together with the closing of the V opening/closing member 71 at the end of the round. After the long opening of the V opening/closing member 71 and the V valid period setting process, the game control microcomputer 81 switches the second winning flag to ON (step S2524) and proceeds to step S2540.

In step S2540, the game control microcomputer 81 determines whether the V-shaped opening/closing member 71 is open or not. If the V-shaped opening/closing member 71 is open (step S2540: YES), the game control microcomputer 81 determines whether the round of play has ended or not (step S2550). As described above, the game control microcomputer 81 determines whether the round of play has ended or not based on whether a predetermined interval time (here, 2 seconds) has elapsed since the big prize opening was closed.

If the round of play has ended (step S2550: YES), the game control microcomputer 81 switches the first winning flag and the second winning flag to OFF (step S2551), and performs V opening/closing member closing processing and V invalid period setting processing (step S2552). Here, at the end of the round of play, the game control microcomputer 81 forcibly closes the V opening/closing member 71, and sets the V invalid period several seconds (here, 1 second) after the V opening/closing member 71 is closed, and ends this processing.

If the round of play has not ended (step S2550: NO), the game control microcomputer 81 determines whether the closing condition of the V opening/closing member 71 is met (step S2560). For example, the closing condition of the V opening/closing member 71 may be that a predetermined period (e.g., 0.1 seconds) has elapsed since the V opening/closing member 71 was opened in the case of a short opening. If the closing condition is met (step S2560: YES), the V opening/closing member closing process and the V invalid period setting process are performed (step S2552), and the process ends. If the closing condition is not met (step S2560: NO), the V opening/closing member 71 is left open and the V valid period is continued, and the process ends.

If the game control microcomputer 81 determines in step S2540 that the V-shaped opening/closing member 71 is closed (step S2540: NO), it determines whether or not the round of play has ended (step S2571). If the round has ended (step S2571: YES), the game control microcomputer 81 switches the first winning flag and the second winning flag to OFF (step S2572) and ends this process. If the round has not ended (step S2571: NO), it ends this process.

[Game Status Setting Process]
FIG. 32 is a flow chart of the game state setting process (FIG. 30: step S2234). The game control microcomputer 81 first judges whether the V flag is ON or not (step S2301). If the V flag is OFF (step S2301: NO), the time-saving flag is turned ON (step S2302), and the time-saving counter is set to "100" (step S2303). As a result, the game state after the current big win game becomes "non-high probability state", "time-saving state", and "high base state" (i.e., low probability high base). This low probability high base state ends when either of the following conditions is met: the variable display of the special pattern is performed 100 times, or the next big win is won.

On the other hand, in step S2301, if the V flag is ON (step S2301: YES), the game control microcomputer 81 turns the high probability flag ON (step S2304), sets the high probability counter to "100" (step S2305), and turns the V flag OFF (step S2306). The game control microcomputer 81 also turns the time-saving flag ON (step S2307), and sets the time-saving counter to "100" (step S2308). As a result, the game state after the current jackpot game becomes a "high probability state", a "time-saving state", and a "high base state" (i.e., high probability, high base). This high probability, high base state ends when either of the following conditions is met: the variable display of the special pattern is performed 100 times, or the next jackpot is won.

In step S2310, the game control microcomputer 81 turns the ceiling flag ON, and the ceiling counter is set to "500" as the specified number of spins until the b time reduction (play time) is reached (step S2311). As a result, when the probability change flag is OFF after a jackpot game, the game will enter the b time reduction (play time) after 500 spins. In step S2309, the game control microcomputer 81 sets a game state designation command in the command set area (output buffer) 84a of the main RAM 84, and ends this process. The game state designation command contains information regarding the set game state (time reduction flag, time reduction counter, probability change flag, probability change counter, ceiling flag, ceiling counter).

[V-area sensor detection process]
FIG. 33 is a flow chart of the V-area sensor detection process (FIG. 16: step S106). The game control microcomputer 81 first judges whether or not a game ball has been detected by the V-area sensor 39a (step S2601). If the game ball has not been detected by the V-area sensor 39a (step S2601: NO), this process is terminated. On the other hand, if a game ball has been detected (step S2601: YES), the game control microcomputer 81 judges whether or not the V-effective period is in progress (step S2602). The V-effective period is a period set by the V-effective period setting process (steps S2504, S2523) of the V-opening/closing member operation process (FIG. 31). The V-effective period is set during the second, fourth, sixth, eighth, tenth, and twelfth rounds, during which the V-opening/closing member 71 is opened or closed for several seconds (ball brushing period). If the V valid period is not in progress (step S2602: NO), this process ends. On the other hand, if the V valid period is in progress (step S2602: YES), the game control microcomputer 81 turns on the V flag (step S2603), sets the V pass command (step S2604), and ends this process.

[Reserved ball count processing]
34 is a flowchart of the reserved ball number processing (FIG. 16: step S107). The game control microcomputer 81 first reads the reserved ball number of special pattern 1, the reserved ball number of special pattern 2, and the reserved ball number of normal pattern stored in the main RAM 84 (step S2701). Next, the game control microcomputer 81 sets the reserved ball number command in the command set area (output buffer) 84a of the main RAM 84 (step S2702). The reserved ball number command is a command for notifying the sub-control board 90 of the reserved ball number, and includes information on the reserved ball number of special pattern 1, the reserved ball number of special pattern 2, and the reserved ball number of normal pattern. After setting the reserved ball number command, the game control microcomputer 81 ends this process.

7. Operation of the performance control microcomputer 91 The operation of the performance control microcomputer 91 provided on the sub-control board 90 (FIG. 4) will be described with reference to Figures 35 to 45. Counters, flags, status, buffers, etc. that appear in the description of the operation of the performance control microcomputer 91 are provided in the sub-RAM 94.

[Sub-control main processing]
35 is a flow chart showing the sub-control main process. When the power supply of the gaming machine 1 is turned on, the performance control microcomputer 91 reads out a program for executing the sub-control main process from the sub ROM 93. In the sub-control main process, the performance control microcomputer 91 first performs a CPU initialization process (step S4000). In the CPU initialization process, for example, the sub-CPU 92 is set, and various flags, statuses, counters, etc. are reset. The initial value of the flag is "0" or "OFF", the initial value of the status is "1", and the initial value of the counter is "0". The CPU initialization process is executed only once after the power supply is turned on, and is not executed thereafter.

After the CPU initialization process, the performance control microcomputer 91 prohibits interrupts from the interrupt process (step S4015) and performs a random number update process (step S4020). In this random number update process, the performance control microcomputer 91 updates the random number counter value shown in FIG. 7(B) by adding 1. When each random number counter value reaches a set upper limit value, it returns to "0" and is incremented again. Note that the initial value of each random number counter may be a value other than "0" and may be changed randomly. In addition to incrementing the random number value by 1, it may also be configured to increment by 2 or more. Each random number may be a so-called hardware random number.

After the random number update process, the performance control microcomputer 91 allows the interrupt process to be interrupted (step S4025). While the interrupt is allowed, the sub-side timer interrupt process (step S4035) can be executed. The sub-side timer interrupt process is executed based on an interrupt pulse that is repeatedly input to the sub-CPU 92 at a predetermined cycle. In other words, the sub-side timer interrupt process is executed at each predetermined cycle. Then, the random number update process is executed repeatedly between the end of the sub-side timer interrupt process and the start of the next sub-side timer interrupt process.

[Sub-side timer interrupt processing]
FIG. 36 is a flow chart of the sub-side timer interrupt process (FIG. 35: step S4035). The performance control microcomputer 91 first performs a received command analysis process (step S4300). The received command analysis process will be described later in detail. After the received command analysis process, the performance control microcomputer 91 performs a variable performance process (step S4305). The variable performance process is a process for setting a pre-variation end command at a specific timing during the variable performance to execute a specific display performance on the display screen 7a, and the details will be described later. After the variable performance process, the performance control microcomputer 91 performs a switch process (step S4310). In the switch process, the performance control microcomputer 91 sets the display contents of the display screen 7a based on the switch data (edge data and level data) output based on the detection signal from the performance button detection switch 63a. After the switch process, the performance control microcomputer 91 performs a command transmission process (step S4315). In the command transmission process, the performance control microcomputer 91 transmits various commands set in the performance command set area 94b (output buffer) of the sub-RAM 94 in the received command analysis process, etc., to the image control board 100, the voice control board 106, the lamp control board 107, and the relay board 108. The image control board 100, which has received various commands, executes a display performance according to the received command using the image display device 7. In addition, the voice control board 106, which has received various commands, executes a sound performance that outputs sound from the speaker 67 according to the received command. The lamp control board 107, which has received various commands, executes a lamp performance that controls the light emission of the board lamp 5 and the frame lamp 66 according to the received command. After the command transmission process, the performance control microcomputer 91 performs other processes (step S4320) and ends this process. In the other processes, for example, a random number update process is performed.

[Received command analysis process]
FIG. 37 is a flowchart of the received command analysis process (FIG. 36: step S4300). The performance control microcomputer 91 first judges whether or not a pre-judgment command has been received from the main control board 80 (step S4415). If it has been received (step S4415: YES), a pre-reading performance determination process is performed (step S4420). The "pre-reading performance determination process" is a process that determines whether or not to execute a pre-reading performance, and if so, the pre-reading performance pattern. Details of the pre-reading performance determination process will be described later. On the other hand, if it has not been received (step S4415: NO), the above-mentioned pre-reading performance determination process is skipped. The pre-reading performance is a performance that suggests that the reserved information newly stored in the special chart reserved memory area 85 is highly likely to contain a jackpot, and is performed during a variable performance.

Next, the performance control microcomputer 91 judges whether or not a reserved ball number command has been received from the main control board 80 (step S4445). If it has been received (step S4445: YES), a reserved display process is performed (step S4450). In the reserved display process, the values of the first special reserved performance counter, the second special reserved performance counter, and the normal reserved performance counter provided in the counter set area 94d of the sub-RAM 94 are updated based on the information on the number of reserved balls of the special pattern 1, the number of reserved balls of the special pattern 2, and the number of reserved balls of the normal pattern included in the reserved ball number command. This allows the information on the number of reserved balls to be held not only on the main control board 80 side but also on the sub-control board 90 side. In addition, the performance control microcomputer 91 updates the reserved images 9A and 9B displayed on the display screen 7a based on the values of the first special reserved performance counter, the second special reserved performance counter, and the normal reserved performance counter. On the other hand, if the reserved ball count command has not been received (step S4445: NO), the reserved ball display process described above is skipped.

Then, the performance control microcomputer 91 determines whether or not a fluctuation start command has been received from the main control board 80 (step S4455). If a fluctuation start command has been received (step S4455: YES), a fluctuation performance start process is performed (step S4460). The "fluctuation performance start process" is a process for selecting the fluctuation performance pattern (contents) to be executed during the special pattern fluctuation. The details of the fluctuation performance start process will be described later. On the other hand, if a fluctuation start command has not been received (step S4455: NO), the above-mentioned fluctuation performance start process is skipped.

Then, the performance control microcomputer 91 judges whether or not a change stop command has been received from the main control board 80 (step S4465). If it has been received (step S4465: YES), a change performance end process is performed (step S4470). The "change performance end process" is a process for stopping the change performance executed during the special pattern change. In the change performance end process, the performance control microcomputer 91 sets a counter based on the analysis result of the change stop command, and sets a change performance end command for ending the change performance. As a result, the decorative pattern corresponding to the special pattern 1 or special pattern 2 that is changing is stopped and displayed. In addition, the performance control microcomputer 91 performs a pre-determination information shift process (FIG. 39) described later. Note that if the change stop command has not been received (step S4465: NO), the change performance end process described above is skipped.

Next, the performance control microcomputer 91 judges whether an opening command has been received from the main control board 80 (step S4475). If an opening command has been received (step S4475: YES), an opening performance pattern determination process is performed (step S4480). The "opening performance pattern determination process" is a process for selecting an opening performance pattern (content) to be executed at the start of a special game (jackpot game). In the opening performance pattern determination process, the performance control microcomputer 91 first analyzes the opening command and sets information about the special symbol stop pattern data set at the time of the jackpot winning determination, which is included in the opening command, in the sub-RAM 94. Then, the performance pattern of the opening performance that is preset in accordance with the winning type indicated by the special symbol stop pattern data is selected, and an opening performance start command for starting the selected opening performance is set in the performance command set area 94b of the sub-RAM 94. When the opening effect start command set in the effect command set area 94b is sent to the image control board 100 in the command sending process (FIG. 36: step S4315), the CPU 102 of the image control board 100 reads out a predetermined opening effect image from the ROM 103 and displays it on the display screen 7a of the image display device 7. Note that if an opening command has not been received in step S4475 (step S4475: NO), the above-mentioned opening effect pattern determination process is skipped.

Next, the performance control microcomputer 91 judges whether or not a round designation command has been received from the main control board 80 (step S4485). If a round designation command has been received (step S4485: YES), a round designation pattern determination process is performed (step S4490). The "round designation pattern determination process" is a process for selecting an open game designation pattern (content) to be executed during the opening of the big prize opening or during the interval between openings in a special game (big prize game). In the round designation pattern determination process, the performance control microcomputer 91 first analyzes the round designation command, and sets information on the special stop pattern data and information on the number of rounds included in the round designation command in the sub-RAM 94. Then, a performance pattern of the round designation that is preset in accordance with the winning type and the number of rounds indicated by the special stop pattern data is selected, and a round designation start command for starting the selected round designation is set in the performance command set area 94b of the sub-RAM 94. When the round effect start command set in the effect command set area 94b is sent to the image control board 100, the CPU 102 reads out a predetermined round effect image from the ROM 103 and displays it on the display screen 7a. Note that if a round designation command has not been received in step S4485 (step S4485: NO), the above-mentioned round effect pattern determination process is skipped.

Next, the performance control microcomputer 91 determines whether an ending command has been received from the main control board 80 (step S4495). If an ending command has been received (step S4495: YES), an ending performance pattern determination process is performed (step S4500). The "ending performance pattern determination process" is a process for selecting an ending performance pattern (content) to be executed during the ending of a special game (big win game or small win game). In the ending performance pattern determination process, the performance control microcomputer 91 first analyzes the ending command and sets information regarding the special chart stop pattern data included in the ending command in the sub-RAM 94. Then, the microcomputer 91 selects an ending performance pattern according to the type of win indicated by the special chart stop pattern data, and sets an ending performance start command to start the selected ending performance in the output buffer of the sub-RAM 94. When the ending performance start command set in the performance command set area 94b is sent to the image control board 100, the CPU 102 reads a specific ending performance image from the ROM 103 and displays it on the display screen 7a. If no ending command has been received (step S4495: NO), the above-mentioned ending performance pattern determination process is skipped.

Next, the performance control microcomputer 91 performs other processing (step S4535). In other processing, for example, when the performance control microcomputer 91 receives a game state designation command, it stores information about the game state included in the game state designation command (such as time-saving flag, time-saving counter, probability flag, probability counter, ceiling flag, and ceiling counter) in the sub-RAM 94. Specifically, based on the information included in the game state designation command, the values of the time-saving performance counter, probability-changing performance counter, and ceiling performance counter provided in the counter set area 94d of the sub-RAM 94 are updated. For example, the remaining number of fluctuations (number of games) during time-saving is set in the time-saving performance counter, the remaining number of fluctuations during probability-changing is set in the probability-changing performance counter, and the remaining number of fluctuations until the ceiling is reached is set in the ceiling performance counter. This allows the information on the time-saving number of times, the probability-changing number of times, and the ceiling number of times to be stored not only on the main control board 80 side but also on the sub-control board 90 side. In addition, when the performance control microcomputer 91 receives a V-pass command, it stores the V-passed information in the sub-RAM 94. In addition, the performance control microcomputer 91 performs processing based on commands other than those mentioned above (such as a customer waiting command or a RAM clear notification command) and then ends this processing.

[Pre-reading performance decision processing]
38 is a flowchart of the pre-reading performance determination process (FIG. 37: step S4420). The performance control microcomputer 91 first performs a pre-judgment information rewrite process (step S4601). Specifically, the performance control microcomputer 91 stores the jackpot pre-judgment result (jackpot judgment information), the jackpot type pre-judgment result (jackpot type information), and the fluctuation pattern pre-judgment result (fluctuation pattern information) contained in the pre-judgment command received from the main control board 80 in the pre-judgment information storage area 94c.

Figure 39 is a diagram for explaining the configuration of the pre-judgment information storage area 94c. In addition to the jackpot judgment information, jackpot type information, and fluctuation pattern information described above, the pre-judgment information storage area 94c stores pre-reading performance pattern information. The pre-reading performance pattern information is information indicating the contents of the pre-reading performance executed during the fluctuation performance, and is selected in step S4604 described later. Figure 39 (A) shows a state in which the jackpot judgment information "miss" and the fluctuation pattern information "P72" and "P73" are stored in the first to third storage areas as pre-judgment results corresponding to the first to third reserved special charts 2, respectively, and the pre-judgment results corresponding to the fluctuations are stored in the corresponding areas. Figure 39 (B) shows a state in which the special chart 2 wins from the state of Figure 39 (A), and the pre-judgment information included in the pre-judgment command received from the main control board 80 is stored in the fourth storage area corresponding to the fourth reserved special chart 2. Here, the jackpot determination information "jackpot", the jackpot type information "21H", and the variation pattern information "P61" are stored as the pre-determination information. In addition, "Pattern A" is set as the pre-reading performance pattern information in the first to fourth storage areas corresponding to the first to fourth reserved special chart 2 pieces and the area corresponding to the variation. FIG. 39(C) shows the state in which the variation has ended from the state in FIG. 39(B) and the pre-determination information shift process has been executed. Specifically, the pre-determination information stored in the first storage area is shifted to the area, the pre-determination information stored in the second to fourth storage areas is shifted to the first to third storage areas, and the pre-determination information in the fourth storage area is cleared. The pre-determination information shift process is executed in the variation performance end process (FIG. 37: step S4470).

Returning to FIG. 38, the performance control microcomputer 91 then determines whether or not the pre-reading performance pattern information is stored in the pre-judgment information storage area 94c (step S4602). Specifically, the performance control microcomputer 91 determines whether or not the pre-reading performance pattern information is stored in the relevant area or any of the first to fourth storage areas of the pre-judgment information storage area 94c. If the pre-reading performance pattern information is stored (step S4602: YES), this process is terminated. That is, if the pre-reading performance pattern information is stored in the relevant area or any of the first to fourth storage areas of the pre-judgment information storage area 94c, the pre-reading performance pattern information is not newly selected and stored. On the other hand, if the pre-judgment information is not stored in the pre-judgment information storage area 94c (step S4602: NO), the performance control microcomputer 91 determines whether or not the pre-judgment result included in the received pre-judgment command is a "jackpot" or a "miss with reach" (step S4603). Whether or not the result is a "jackpot" or a "miss with reach" can be determined, for example, by the result of the preliminary determination of the variation pattern (variation pattern information). When the result of the preliminary determination included in the received preliminary determination command is "miss without reach" (step S4603: NO), the performance control microcomputer 91 ends this process. This is because there is no need to perform a look-ahead performance. On the other hand, when the result of the preliminary determination included in the received preliminary determination command is "jackpot" or "miss with reach" (step S4603: YES), a look-ahead performance execution determination is performed to determine whether or not to perform a look-ahead performance, and a look-ahead performance pattern selection is performed (step S4604). Specifically, the performance control microcomputer 91 obtains the value of the counter of the look-ahead performance random number, and determines whether or not to perform a look-ahead performance and the look-ahead performance pattern selection table T51 stored in the sub-ROM 93 by referring to the obtained random number value and the look-ahead performance pattern selection table T51 stored in the sub-ROM 93.

Figure 40 is a diagram for explaining the look-ahead performance pattern determination table T51. In Figure 40, if the pre-determination result is "big win" and the look-ahead performance random number value is "0-55", the look-ahead performance is "none", if the look-ahead performance random number value is "56-67", "pattern A" is selected as the look-ahead performance, and if the look-ahead performance random number value is "68-127", "pattern B" is selected as the look-ahead performance. Also, if the pre-determination result is "reach with miss" and the look-ahead performance random number value is "0-107", the look-ahead performance is "none", if the look-ahead performance random number value is "108-114", "pattern A" is selected as the look-ahead performance, and if the look-ahead performance random number value is "115-127", "pattern B" is selected as the look-ahead performance. Note that the type, content, and range of the random number value to be selected of the look-ahead performance pattern can be set arbitrarily.

Returning to FIG. 38, if it is determined in step S4604 that a look-ahead performance is to be executed (step S4605: YES), the selected look-ahead performance pattern is stored in the pre-determination information storage area 94c (step S4606). Here, when the look-ahead performance pattern is stored in the pre-determination information storage area 94c, the look-ahead performance pattern is stored not only in the storage area corresponding to the received pre-determination command among the first to fourth storage areas, but also in the storage area before the corresponding storage area and in the area. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 39 (B), not only is "Pattern A" set in the fourth storage area corresponding to the received pre-determination command, but "Pattern A" is also set in the first to third storage areas and the area. As a result, the look-ahead performance pattern A is also executed in the variable performance executed before the variable performance corresponding to the fourth storage area is executed (the variable performance corresponding to the area and the first to third storage areas). Note that whether or not the look-ahead performance is executed in the variable performance corresponding to the area depends on the progress of the variable performance. That is, in the variable performance, if the timing for executing the look-ahead performance has already passed, the look-ahead performance will not be executed, but if it is before the timing for executing the look-ahead performance, it will be executed at that timing. This will be described later. If it is determined in step S4604 that the look-ahead performance will not be executed (step S4605: NO), the processing ends.

[Variable performance start processing]
41 is a flow chart of the variable performance start process (FIG. 37: step S4460). The performance control microcomputer 91 first analyzes the variable start command (step S5000). Here, the performance control microcomputer 91 sets information on the special chart stop pattern data included in the variable start command and information on the variable pattern in the sub-RAM 94. The set information includes game status information indicating the current game status, pattern information indicating the pattern as the judgment result of the hit judgment process of the special chart 1 or special chart 2, etc. The game status information and pattern information acquired here can be appropriately referred to by the performance control microcomputer 91.

Then, the performance control microcomputer 91 performs a core performance pattern determination process (step S5010). The core performance pattern determination process is a process for determining the basic configuration of the variable performance (for example, the display and switching of background images on the image display device 7, the display and movement of predetermined characters, the output of melodies and sound effects using the speaker 67, the lighting control of lamps, etc.). The variable performance is completed by superimposing additional performances such as chance-up performances and pre-reading performances on this core performance. The performance control microcomputer 91 determines the core performance pattern by referring to the core performance pattern determination table T52 stored in the sub-ROM 93.

Figure 42 is a diagram for explaining the core performance pattern determination table T52. In Figure 42, multiple types of core performance patterns that perform normal reach performance, multiple types of core performance patterns that perform SP1 performance, multiple types of core performance patterns that perform SP2 performance, multiple types of core performance patterns that perform SP3 performance, and multiple types of core performance patterns that perform no reach miss performance are set. The type of core performance pattern can be set arbitrarily. Here, for example, if the fluctuation pattern included in the fluctuation start command is "P1", a core performance pattern that performs an SP1 performance is selected. Also, if the fluctuation pattern included in the fluctuation start command is "P72", a core performance pattern that performs a no reach miss performance is selected.

Returning to FIG. 41, after determining the core performance pattern, the performance control microcomputer 91 performs chance-up performance pattern determination processing (step S5015). The chance-up performance pattern determination processing is processing for determining additional performance to be superimposed on the variable performance. The performance control microcomputer 91 acquires the value of the chance-up random number counter, and determines the chance-up performance pattern by referring to the acquired random number value and the chance-up performance pattern determination table T53 stored in the sub-ROM 93.

Figure 43 is a diagram for explaining the chance-up performance pattern determination table T53. Here, only the portion of the chance-up performance pattern determination table T53 that determines the variation performance pattern of special chart 1 in the non-time-saving state is shown. That is, Figure 43 shows the chance-up performance pattern that is executed when the variation pattern included in the variation start command is "P1" to "P16". Note that the chance-up performance pattern determination table T53 may or may not include a portion that determines the chance-up performance pattern that is executed when the variation pattern is "P21" to "P33", "P41" to "P56", or "61" to "73".

In FIG. 43, the chance-up effect patterns are set as "2-NO", "2-SP1", "2-SP2", "2-SP3", "3-NO", "3-SP1", "3-SP2", "3-SP3", "4-NO", "4-SP1", "4-SP2", "4-SP3", and "ANO". These chance-up effect patterns correspond to the various chance-up effects described below.

Returning to FIG. 41, after determining the chance-up presentation pattern, the presentation control microcomputer 91 performs a count presentation pattern determination process (step S5016). Here, the count presentation pattern determination process is a process for displaying on the display screen 7a the remaining number of fluctuations (number of games) during the special bonus period, the remaining number of fluctuations during the time-saving period, the remaining number of fluctuations until the ceiling is reached, the number of fluctuations since the power was turned on, the number of fluctuations since the big win was played, etc. During the special bonus period, the presentation control microcomputer 91 displays the remaining number of times in the special bonus period on the display screen 7a based on the value of the special bonus presentation counter. Also, during the time-saving period, the presentation control microcomputer 91 displays the remaining number of times in the special bonus period based on the value of the time-saving presentation counter.

The performance control microcomputer 91 can execute various performances based on the value of the ceiling performance counter and the value of the overnight performance counter. The ceiling performance counter stores the number of remaining variations until the ceiling is reached, and the overnight performance counter records the number of variations since the power is turned on. For example, the performance control microcomputer 91 can set the number of variations since the power is turned on by incrementing the overnight performance counter every time it receives a variable performance end command from the main control board 80. The performance control microcomputer 91 determines whether the value of the ceiling performance counter is equal to or less than TH2 (for example, TH2 = 200) when the value of the overnight performance counter is TH1 (for example, TH1 = 10). If the value of the ceiling performance counter is equal to or less than TH2, a predetermined chance image is displayed. If the value of the ceiling performance counter is greater than TH2, the chance image is not displayed. This allows a player who sees the chance image to recognize that the gaming machine 1 has inherited the number of games from the previous day and that RAM clearing has not been performed. The performance control microcomputer 91 may also display the value of the ceiling performance counter when the value of the overnight performance counter is TH3 (e.g., TH3=50). The performance control microcomputer 91 may also erase the display or chance image showing the value of the ceiling performance counter when the value of the overnight performance counter is TH4 (e.g., TH4=100). The performance control microcomputer 91 may also display the value of the ceiling performance counter when the value of the overnight performance counter is TH5 (e.g., TH5=200) again. The performance control microcomputer 91 may determine whether or not to display the value of the ceiling performance counter based on the value of the overnight performance counter as described above, or may also determine based on the value of the ceiling performance counter. For example, the performance control microcomputer 91 may display the value of the ceiling performance counter when the value of the ceiling performance counter is TH6 (e.g., TH6 = 100), may turn off the display of the value of the ceiling performance counter when the value of the ceiling performance counter is TH7 (e.g., TH7 = 70), and may display the value of the ceiling performance counter again when the value of the ceiling performance counter is TH8 (e.g., TH8 = 50).

After the count effect pattern determination process, the effect control microcomputer 91 may refer to the random number value and the stop pattern pattern determination table T54 to determine the combination of the effect patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R to be displayed. This determines what kind of effect will be performed as the variable effect.

The performance control microcomputer 91 sets a variable performance start command in the performance command set area 94b (output buffer) of the sub-RAM 94 so that a variable performance based on the variable performance pattern determined in steps S5010 to S5016 above is realized (step S5020). When the variable performance start command set in the performance command set area 94b of the sub-RAM 94 is sent to the image control board 100 in the command sending process (FIG. 36: step S4315), the CPU 102 of the image control board 100 reads the variable performance image from the ROM 103 and displays it on the display screen 7a of the image display device 7.

Then, the performance control microcomputer 91 sets the variable performance timer (step S5030) and ends this process. The variable performance timer is set to a variable time (Figure 42) that corresponds to the variable pattern included in the variable start command. For example, when the variable pattern is "P1", the variable performance timer is set to "40 seconds".

[Processing during variable performance]
FIG. 44 is a flow chart of the process during the variable performance (FIG. 36: step S4305). The performance control microcomputer 91 judges whether or not the variable performance is in progress (step S4701). Whether or not the variable performance is in progress can be judged, for example, by whether or not the variable performance timer is set to zero. If the variable performance is not in progress (step SS4701: NO), this process is terminated. On the other hand, if the variable performance is in progress (step SS4701: YES), the performance control microcomputer 91 judges whether or not it is time to set the pre-variation end command in the performance command set area 94b of the sub-RAM 94 (step S4702). The pre-variation end command is a command that the performance control microcomputer 91 notifies the image control board 100 and the like that it is a specific timing during the variable performance, and when the image control board 100 receives the pre-variation end command, it switches the performance content or displays a specific image according to the information contained in the pre-variation end command.

If it is not the time to set the pre-change end command (step S4702: NO), this process is terminated. On the other hand, if it is the time to set the pre-change end command (step S4702: YES), a determination is made as to whether or not there is pre-reading performance pattern information in the area of the advance judgment information storage area 94c (step S4703). If there is pre-reading performance pattern information in the area (step S4703: YES), a pre-change end command including the pre-reading performance pattern information is set in the performance command set area 94b of the sub-RAM 94 (step S4704). On the other hand, if there is no pre-reading performance pattern information in the area (step S4703: NO), a pre-change end command not including the pre-reading performance pattern information is set in the performance command set area 94b of the sub-RAM 94 (step S4705). As a result, if there is pre-reading performance pattern information in the area, a pre-change end command including the pre-reading performance pattern information is sent to the image control board 100 two seconds before the end of the change performance. Then, the image control microcomputer 101 starts a look-ahead performance in which a look-ahead performance image is displayed on the display screen 7a of the image display device 7. On the other hand, even if there is no look-ahead performance pattern information in the area, a pre-variation end command is sent to the image control board 100 two seconds before the end of the variation. Here, if a preview image is already displayed on the display screen 7a of the image display device 7, the image control microcomputer 101 starts a preview fade performance in which the preview image fades.

9. Operation of movable body and display performance of sub display screen 64 Using Figures 46 to 50, the operation of the board movable body (first movable role 14, second movable role 15), the operation of the frame movable body (frame movable role 69), and the display performance of the sub display screen 64 (right sub display screen 64R, left sub display screen 64L, and upper sub display screen 64U) will be described. The performance control microcomputer 91 performs drive control to operate the first movable role 14, the second movable role 15, and the frame movable role 69 during the game performance (display performance) or in the initial operation when the power is turned on. In addition, the performance control microcomputer 91 performs a display performance to display a specific image on the sub display screen 64 during the game performance (display performance) or in the initial operation when the power is turned on.

Figure 46 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the movement mode of the first movable role 14. Figure 47 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the second mode of the first movable role 14. The first movable role 14 is a vertically long rod-shaped member, with its upper end located near the upper end of the image display device 7 and its lower end located near the lower end of the image display device 7. The first movable role 14 is difficult to see at its upper and lower ends, and the center area is visible in front of the image display device 7. As shown in Figure 1, the first movable role 14 can be stationary at a retracted position (home position) on the left side of the image display device 7 (first mode). In the retracted position, only a portion of the first movable role 14 may be stored and the remaining portion may be visible, or the entirety of the first movable role 14 may be stored and difficult to see. As shown in Figure 46, the first movable role 14 is configured to be movable in the left and right directions in front of the image display device 7. It is configured to move (advance) from the retracted position toward the right end of the display screen 7a and to be movable in the left and right directions in front of the display screen 7a. It can also stop at any advanced position in front of the display screen 7a. The movement mode of the first movable part 14 can be set arbitrarily. As shown in FIG. 47, the first movable part 14 can move to the right edge of the display screen 7a and stop at that position (second mode). At least a part of the first movable part 14 may be formed with a decorative part, or may be transparent.

Figure 48 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the second mode of the second movable role 15. The second movable role 15 has a rectangular decorative part marked "OARO" and is configured to be able to move up and down. As shown in Figure 1, the second movable role 15 can stop at a retreat position (home position) on the upper side of the display screen 7a (first mode). At this time, a part of the second movable role 15 becomes difficult to see. The second movable role 15 can move downward from the state shown in Figure 1 toward the center of the display screen 7a and stop at the advanced position (deployed position) shown in Figure 48 (second mode). In this second mode, the decorative part stops in front of the image display device 7 so as to cover the vicinity of the center of the display screen 7a. The second movable role 15 can move upward (retreat) from the advanced position of Figure 48 to the retreat position shown in Figure 1 and can stop there.

Figure 49 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the second mode of the movable frame gadget 69. The movable frame gadget 69 is composed of a pair of flat plate-shaped members arranged on the left and right sides of the handle 60, and each is configured to be movable in the left and right directions. The two members are made of flexible materials, and one main surface of each member is configured to approach and move away from the handle 60. As shown in Figure 1, the two members of the movable frame gadget 69 are normally stationary at retreated positions (home positions) away from the handle 60 on the left and right sides of the handle 60 (first mode). As shown in Figure 49, the two members of the movable frame gadget 69 can move (advance) from the retreated positions toward the handle 60, that is, move close to each other, and stop at a position where they touch the handle 60 (second mode). When in the advanced position, the movable frame gadget 69 touches the handle 60 or the right hand of the player operating the handle 60. The movable frame part 69 can move in a direction in which the two components move away from each other so that the frame moves from the second position to the first position.

Figure 50 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the display effects of the sub-display screens 64 (right sub-display screen 64R, left sub-display screen 64L, and upper sub-display screen 64U). The right sub-display screen 64R, left sub-display screen 64L, and upper sub-display screen 64U can each display images independently. They can also display effects linked to the images on the display screen 7a.

10. Examples of the performance, effects, modifications, and aspects of the present embodiment The following describes each of the performance examples (display performance examples, role-moving performance examples) of the present embodiment. In addition, effects, modifications, and aspects of the performance examples are also described. The performances described below are, as described above, performances realized by the performance control microcomputer 91 (image control microcomputer 101) based on various information (jackpot determination information, jackpot type information, variation pattern information, advance determination information, etc.) transmitted from the game control microcomputer 81. The following display performance examples are executed on the display screen 7a of the image display device 7, etc. In addition, the hold display (hold icon) may be omitted in the display performance examples.

The pattern aspect change effects A to C are explained below using Figures 51 to 53. These pattern aspect change effects are executed during the decorative pattern variation effect, etc. In other words, the image control microcomputer 101 analyzes the command received from the sub-control board 90, and if the command includes an instruction to execute a pattern aspect change effect, it reads out the corresponding image data from the ROM 103 and displays the image on the display screen 7a of the image display device 7 and the sub-display screen 64 (right sub-display screen 64R, left sub-display screen 64L, and upper sub-display screen 64U).

[Pattern change effect A]
Fig. 51 is a diagram for explaining the pattern mode change performance A. The pattern mode change performance is a performance in which, when a decorative pattern constitutes a reach, the mode of at least a part of the decorative patterns displayed on the display screen 7a changes. Fig. 51 (A) to (F) show a first example of the pattern mode change performance A, and Fig. 51 (G) to (L) show a second example of the pattern mode change performance A.

In the first example of the pattern mode change performance A, first, as shown in FIG. 51(A), the first decorative pattern 8L1, 8C1, 8R1, the second decorative pattern 8L2, 8C2, 8R2, and the third decorative pattern 8L3, 8C3, 8R3 are displayed on the display screen 7a. Here, the reserved icon 9A and the variable icon (relevant reserved icon) 9C are not displayed, but may be displayed.

The first decorative pattern 8L1, 8C1, 8R1 is a set of patterns including a left decorative pattern 8L1, a middle decorative pattern 8C1, and a right decorative pattern 8R1 displayed at the top of the display screen 7a, and the variable display of the set of patterns represents the variable display of the special pattern (special pattern variation), and the stationary display of the set of patterns reports the special pattern lottery result. The special pattern here may be either the first special pattern or the second special pattern. The second decorative pattern 8L2, 8C2, 8R2 is a set of patterns including a left decorative pattern 8L2, a middle decorative pattern 8C2, and a right decorative pattern 8R2 displayed in the center of the display screen 7a, and the variable display of the set of patterns represents the variable display of the special pattern (special pattern variation), and the stationary display of the set of patterns reports the special pattern lottery result. The third decorative pattern 8L3, 8C3, 8R3 is a set of patterns including a left decorative pattern 8L3, a middle decorative pattern 8C3, and a right decorative pattern 8R3 that are displayed at the bottom of the display screen 7a, and the variable display of the set of patterns represents the variable display of the special pattern (special pattern variation), and the stationary display of the set of patterns announces the result of the special pattern lottery.

The variable display of the first to third decorative patterns 8L, 8C, 8R is independent of each other, but represents a variable display of one and the same special pattern (special pattern variation), and if the lottery result of the corresponding special pattern is a miss, the first to third decorative patterns 8L, 8C, 8R are all fixed and stopped in a miss mode. On the other hand, if the lottery result of the corresponding special pattern is a win, at least one of the first to third decorative patterns 8L, 8C, 8R is fixed and stopped in a win mode. Here, the timing of the start of the variation of the first to third decorative patterns 8L, 8C, 8R, and the timing of the stop of the variation of the left decorative pattern, right decorative pattern, and center decorative pattern are all simultaneous, but they may be different for each of the first to third decorative patterns 8L, 8C, 8R. In FIG. 51(A), the first to third decorative patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R are displayed in a variable manner in response to the current special pattern variation (the variation in question).

As shown in FIG. 51(B), the left decorative pattern 8L and the right decorative pattern 8R of each of the first to third decorative patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R are temporarily stopped in order. Specifically, the first decorative patterns 8L1, 8C1, and 8R1 are in a "3↓2" losing mode, the second decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2 are in a "7↓7" reaching mode, and the third decorative patterns 8L3, 8C3, and 8R3 are in a "4↓3" losing mode. Here, among the first to third decorative patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R, one or more of the decorative patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R may temporarily stop as reaching a winning mode, and the other decorative patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R may temporarily stop without reaching a winning mode. In other words, when the left decorative pattern 8L and the right decorative pattern 8R temporarily stop in a reach state in any one or more of the first to third decorative patterns 8L, 8C, 8R, other decorative patterns in the same pattern row (left decorative pattern 8L and right decorative pattern 8R) as the decorative pattern that formed a reach and temporarily stopped may temporarily stop without forming a reach.

In FIG. 51(C), a pattern mode change performance is executed. Here, since the second decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2 constitute a "7↓7" reach, the mode of the decorative patterns (first and third decorative patterns) different from the decorative patterns that constitute the reach displayed on the display screen 7a changes. Specifically, "x" is displayed overlapping the "3" of the left decorative pattern 8L1 of the first decorative pattern and the "2" of the right decorative pattern 8R1. Similarly, "x" is displayed overlapping the "4" of the left decorative pattern 8L3 of the third decorative pattern and the "3" of the right decorative pattern 8R3. Here, the mode at the time of the provisional stop before "x" is displayed on the left and right decorative patterns of the first and third decorative patterns is the first mode, and the mode after "x" is displayed overlapping is the second mode. This allows the player to see that of the first to third decorative patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R, the first and third decorative patterns are misses, and to focus the player's attention on the second decorative pattern.

As shown in FIG. 51(D), after the appearance of the first and third decorative symbols has changed, the appearance of the second decorative symbol that constitutes the reach changes to an appearance different from the first and third decorative symbols. Specifically, the "7" of the left decorative symbol 8L2 and the "7" of the right decorative symbol 8R2 of the second decorative symbol are enlarged and a rectangular frame is displayed surrounding them. Here, the appearance at the time of the temporary stop before the left and right decorative symbols of the second decorative symbol are enlarged is the first appearance, and the appearance after they are enlarged and surrounded by a rectangular frame is the third appearance. This can draw the player's attention even more to the second decorative symbol in the reach appearance.

As shown in FIG. 51(E), the state of the second decorative pattern that constitutes the reach returns from the third state to the first state. Specifically, when the fluctuation speed of the center decorative pattern 8C of each of the first to third decorative patterns slows down and the patterns become visible, the "7" of the left decorative pattern 8L2 and the "7" of the right decorative pattern 8R2 of the second decorative pattern, which are enlarged and surrounded by a rectangular frame, are reduced to normal size, and the rectangular frame surrounding them disappears. This allows the patterns to be returned to their normal state before the pattern change performance when the jackpot is confirmed and the winning performance can be made more noticeable. Also, even in the case of a loss confirmation stop, the enlarged patterns can be prevented from being mistaken for a performance with a high expectation of a win.

As shown in FIG. 51(F), when the center decorative pattern 8C of each of the first to third decorative patterns stops and the first to third decorative patterns are fixed, the state of the first and third decorative patterns returns from the second state to the first state. Specifically, when the center decorative pattern 8C of each of the first to third decorative patterns temporarily stops, the display of the "x" displayed overlapping the "3" of the left decorative pattern 8L1 and the "2" of the right decorative pattern 8R1 of the first decorative pattern, and the display of the "x" displayed overlapping the "4" of the left decorative pattern 8L3 and the "3" of the right decorative pattern 8R3 of the third decorative pattern disappear. This makes it possible to clearly show the fixed stop pattern (final lottery result) of each of the first to third decorative patterns to the player. The timing at which the first and third decorative patterns return from the second pattern to the first pattern may be the same as the timing at which the first to third decorative patterns are fixed and stopped, or it may be before the fixed and stopped, or it may be after the fixed and stopped.

In the second example of the pattern mode change performance A, similar to the first example, first, as shown in FIG. 51(A), the first decorative pattern 8L1, 8C1, 8R1, the second decorative pattern 8L2, 8C2, 8R2, and the third decorative pattern 8L3, 8C3, 8R3 are displayed on the display screen 7a. The first to third decorative patterns 8L, 8C, 8R are displayed in a changing manner in response to the current special pattern change (the change in question).

As shown in FIG. 51(G), the left decorative pattern 8L and the right decorative pattern 8R of each of the first to third decorative patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R are temporarily stopped in order. Specifically, the first decorative patterns 8L1, 8C1, and 8R1 are in a reach state of "7↓7", the second decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2 are in a reach state of "6↓6", and the third decorative patterns 8L3, 8C3, and 8R3 are in a miss state of "4↓3". Here, among the first to third decorative patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R, any one or more of the decorative patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R may temporarily stop as reaching, and the other decorative patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R may temporarily stop without reaching. In other words, when the left decorative pattern 8L and the right decorative pattern 8R temporarily stop in a reach state in any one or more of the first to third decorative patterns 8L, 8C, 8R, other decorative patterns in the same pattern row (left decorative pattern 8L and right decorative pattern 8R) as the decorative pattern that formed a reach and temporarily stopped may temporarily stop without forming a reach.

In FIG. 51(H), a symbol mode change performance is executed. Here, the first and second decorative symbols form the reach of "7↓7" and "6↓6", so the mode of the decorative symbol (third decorative symbol) different from the decorative symbol that forms the reach displayed on the display screen 7a changes. Specifically, the left decorative symbol 8L3 "4", the middle decorative symbol "↓", and the right decorative symbol 8R3 "3" of the third decorative symbol are displayed in a reduced size at the bottom right of the display screen 7a. Here, the mode at the time of the temporary stop before the third decorative symbol is displayed in a reduced size at the bottom right of the display screen 7a is the first mode, and the mode after the reduced size is displayed is the second mode. This makes it possible to draw the player's attention to the first and second decorative symbols, since the third decorative symbol is a miss among the first to third decorative symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R.

As shown in FIG. 51(I)(J), after the state of the third decorative pattern has changed, the state of the first and second decorative patterns that constitute the reach, which satisfy a predetermined condition, changes to a state different from the third decorative pattern. Here, the predetermined condition is whether or not it is a "13579" pattern. Therefore, the first decorative pattern "7↓7" satisfies the condition, but the second decorative pattern "6↓6" does not. Therefore, here, the state of only the first decorative pattern changes. Specifically, the "7" of the left decorative pattern 8L1 of the first decorative pattern and the "7" of the right decorative pattern 8R1 of the first decorative pattern are enlarged and sway left and right. That is, the state of tilting to the right (FIG. 51(I)) and the state of tilting to the left (FIG. 51(J)) are alternately repeated. Here, the state at the time of the temporary stop before the left and right decorative patterns of the first decorative pattern are enlarged is the first state, and the state after they are enlarged is the third state. The state of the second decorative pattern does not change. In this way, even decorative symbols that constitute a reach may or may not change in appearance. This can draw the player's attention to the first decorative symbol in the reach appearance, and can provide an element of surprise when the second decorative symbol stops in a winning appearance.

As shown in FIG. 51(K), the state of the first decorative pattern that constitutes the reach returns from the third state to the first state. Specifically, when the fluctuation speed of the center decorative pattern 8C of each of the first to third decorative patterns slows down and the pattern becomes visible, the "7" of the left decorative pattern 8L1 and the "7" of the right decorative pattern 8R1 of the first decorative pattern that were enlarged and oscillating left and right are reduced to normal size and the oscillation stops. This allows the patterns to be returned to their normal state before the pattern change effect when the jackpot is confirmed and the winning effect can be made more noticeable. Also, even in the case of a loss confirmation stop, it is possible to prevent the enlarged and oscillating patterns from being mistaken for an effect with a high probability of winning.

As shown in FIG. 51(L), when the middle decorative pattern 8C of each of the first to third decorative patterns stops and the first to third decorative patterns are fixed, the state of the third decorative pattern returns from the second state to the first state. Specifically, when the middle decorative pattern 8C of each of the first to third decorative patterns temporarily stops, the third decorative pattern is enlarged to the normal size and the display position returns from the lower right of the display screen 7a to the normal position. This makes it possible to clearly show the fixed stop pattern (final lottery result) of each of the first to third decorative patterns to the player. The timing when the state of the third decorative pattern returns from the second state to the first state may be the same timing as the fixed stop of the first to third decorative patterns, or it may be before or after the fixed stop.

[Pattern Change Presentation B]
Fig. 52 is a diagram for explaining the pattern mode change performance B. The pattern mode change performance is a performance in which, when the decorative pattern constitutes a reach, the mode of at least some of the decorative patterns displayed on the display screen 7a changes. Fig. 52 (A) to (F) show a first example of the pattern mode change performance B, and Fig. 52 (G) to (L) show a second example of the pattern mode change performance B.

In the first example of the pattern mode change performance B, first, as shown in FIG. 52(A), the first decorative pattern 8L1, 8C, 8R1, the second decorative pattern 8L2, 8C, 8R2, and the third decorative pattern 8L3, 8C, 8R3 are displayed on the display screen 7a. Here, the reserved icon 9A and the variable icon (relevant reserved icon) 9C are not displayed, but may be displayed.

The first decorative pattern 8L1, 8C, 8R1 is a set of patterns including a left decorative pattern 8L1 and a right decorative pattern 8R1 displayed at the top of the display screen 7a, and a middle decorative pattern 8C displayed between them from top to bottom in the center of the display screen 7a. The variable display of the set of patterns represents the variable display of the special pattern (special pattern variation), and the stationary display of the set of patterns notifies the result of the special pattern lottery. The special pattern here may be either the first special pattern or the second special pattern. The second decorative pattern 8L2, 8C, 8R2 is a set of patterns including a left decorative pattern 8L2 and a right decorative pattern 8R2 displayed at the center of the display screen 7a, and a middle decorative pattern 8C displayed between them from top to bottom in the center of the display screen 7a. The variable display of the set of patterns represents the variable display of the special pattern (special pattern variation), and the stationary display of the set of patterns notifies the result of the special pattern lottery. The third decorative pattern 8L3, 8C, 8R3 is a set of patterns including a left decorative pattern 8L3 displayed at the bottom of the display screen 7a, a right decorative pattern 8R3 displayed between them, and a middle decorative pattern 8C displayed between them from top to bottom in the center of the display screen 7a. The variable display of the set of patterns represents the variable display of the special pattern (special pattern variation), and the stationary display of the set of patterns notifies the result of the special pattern lottery.

The change display of the first to third decorative patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R is the left and right decorative patterns 8L and 8R.
are independent of each other, while the central decorative pattern 8C shares one pattern arrangement. The vertical arrangement interval of the pattern arrangement included in the central decorative pattern 8C is equal to the vertical display interval of the first, second, and third decorative patterns, and the three stop patterns are displayed vertically lined up when stopped. When the central decorative pattern 8C is stopped and displayed, the three stop patterns are displayed as the stop patterns of the central decorative patterns of the first, second, and third decorative patterns, respectively.

The variable display of the first to third decorative patterns 8L, 8C, 8R represents the variable display of one and the same special pattern (special pattern variation), and when the lottery result of the corresponding special pattern is a miss, the first to third decorative patterns 8L, 8C, 8R are all fixed and stopped in a miss mode. On the other hand, when the lottery result of the corresponding special pattern is a win, at least one of the first to third decorative patterns 8L, 8C, 8R is fixed and stopped in a win mode. Here, the timing of the start of the variation of the first to third decorative patterns 8L, 8C, 8R, and the timing of the stop of the variation of the left decorative pattern, right decorative pattern, and center decorative pattern are all simultaneous, but they may be different for each of the first to third decorative patterns 8L, 8C, 8R. In FIG. 52(A), the first to third decorative patterns 8L, 8C, 8R are displayed variable in response to the current special pattern variation (the variation).

As shown in FIG. 52(B), the left decorative pattern 8L and the right decorative pattern 8R of each of the first to third decorative patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R are temporarily stopped in order. Specifically, the first decorative patterns 8L1, 8C, and 8R1 are in a "3↓2" losing mode, the second decorative patterns 8L2, 8C, and 8R2 are in a "7↓7" reaching mode, and the third decorative patterns 8L3, 8C, and 8R3 are in a "4↓3" losing mode. Here, among the first to third decorative patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R, any one or more of the decorative patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R may form a reaching mode and temporarily stop, and the other decorative patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R may temporarily stop without forming a reaching mode. In other words, when the left decorative pattern 8L and the right decorative pattern 8R temporarily stop in a reach state in any one or more of the first to third decorative patterns 8L, 8C, 8R, other decorative patterns in the same pattern row (left decorative pattern 8L and right decorative pattern 8R) as the decorative pattern that formed a reach and temporarily stopped may temporarily stop without forming a reach.

In FIG. 52(C), a symbol mode change performance is executed. Here, the second decorative symbols 8L2, 8C, and 8R2 constitute a "7↓7" reach, so the mode of the decorative symbols (first and third decorative symbols) different from the decorative symbols that constitute the reach displayed on the display screen 7a changes. Specifically, the "3" of the left decorative symbol 8L1 of the first decorative symbol and the "2" of the right decorative symbol 8R1 are displayed in a reduced size and horizontally. Similarly, the "4" of the left decorative symbol 8L3 of the third decorative symbol and the "3" of the right decorative symbol 8R3 are displayed in a reduced size and horizontally. Here, the mode at the time of the temporary stop before the first and third decorative symbols are displayed in a reduced horizontally is the first mode, and the mode after the first and third decorative symbols are displayed in a reduced horizontally is the second mode. This makes it possible to draw the player's attention to the second decorative symbol, since the first and third decorative symbols are misses among the first to third decorative symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R.

As shown in FIG. 52(D), after the state of the first and third decorative symbols has changed, the state of the second decorative symbol that constitutes the reach state changes to a state different from the first and third decorative symbols. Specifically, the "7" of the left decorative symbol 8L2 and the "7" of the right decorative symbol 8R2 of the second decorative symbol are enlarged and displayed. Here, the state at the time of the temporary stop before the left and right decorative symbols of the second decorative symbol are enlarged and displayed is the first state, and the state after they are enlarged and displayed is the third state. This can further draw the player's attention to the second decorative symbol in the reach state.

As shown in FIG. 52(E), the state of the second decorative pattern constituting the reach returns from the third state to the first state. Specifically, when the fluctuation speed of the central decorative pattern 8C shared by the first to third decorative patterns slows down and the pattern becomes visible, the "7" of the left decorative pattern 8L2 and the "7" of the right decorative pattern 8R2 of the second decorative pattern are reduced to normal size. In addition, the state of the first and third decorative patterns returns from the second state to the first state. Specifically, the "3" of the left decorative pattern 8L1 and the "2" of the right decorative pattern 8R1 of the first decorative pattern, and the "4" of the left decorative pattern 8L3 and the "3" of the right decorative pattern 8R3 of the third decorative pattern return to their original orientation and size. Note that the timing at which the state of the first and third decorative patterns returns from the second state to the first state may be the same as or different from the timing at which the state of the second decorative pattern returns from the third state to the first state. Furthermore, these timings may be before the first to third decorative patterns are fixed, or may be simultaneous with or after the first to third decorative patterns are fixed.

Meanwhile, another pattern mode change effect is executed. Here, the second decorative patterns 8L2, 8C, and 8R2 form a "7↓7" reach, so the mode of the decorative pattern (middle decorative pattern) different from the decorative patterns (second left and right decorative patterns) that form the reach displayed on the display screen 7a changes. Specifically, in the middle decorative pattern 8C, the pattern corresponding to the reach (here, "7") is enlarged and moves variably. This makes it possible to make the winning effect stand out by returning the left and right decorative patterns to their normal state before performing the pattern change effect when the jackpot is confirmed and stopped. Meanwhile, by enlarging the pattern corresponding to the reach in the middle decorative pattern 8C, it is possible to make the winning pattern easier to identify.

As shown in FIG. 52(F), when the middle decorative pattern 8C, which is composed of one pattern arrangement, stops and the first to third decorative patterns all stop at the same time, the pattern corresponding to the reach in the middle decorative pattern 8C is reduced from an enlarged state to a normal size. This makes it possible to clearly show the player the confirmed stop patterns (final lottery results) of each of the first to third decorative patterns.

In the second example of the pattern mode change performance B, similar to the first example, first, as shown in FIG. 52(A), the first decorative pattern 8L1, 8C, 8R1, the second decorative pattern 8L2, 8C, 8R2, and the third decorative pattern 8L3, 8C, 8R3 are displayed on the display screen 7a. The first to third decorative patterns 8L, 8C, 8R are each displayed in a changing manner in response to the current special pattern change (the change in question).

As shown in FIG. 52(G), the left decorative pattern 8L and the right decorative pattern 8R of each of the first to third decorative patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R are temporarily stopped in order. Specifically, the first decorative patterns 8L1, 8C, and 8R1 are in a reach state of "6↓6", the second decorative patterns 8L2, 8C, and 8R2 are in a reach state of "7↓7", and the third decorative patterns 8L3, 8C3, and 8R3 are in a reach state of "2↓2". Here, among the first to third decorative patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R, any one or more of the decorative patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R may form a reach and temporarily stop, while the other decorative patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R may temporarily stop without forming a reach. In other words, when the left decorative pattern 8L and the right decorative pattern 8R temporarily stop in a reach state in any one or more of the first to third decorative patterns 8L, 8C, 8R, other decorative patterns in the same pattern row (left decorative pattern 8L and right decorative pattern 8R) as the decorative pattern that formed a reach and temporarily stopped may temporarily stop without forming a reach.

In FIG. 52 (H), a pattern mode change effect is executed. Here, all of the first, second, and third decorative patterns have formed a reach of "6↓6", "7↓7", and "2↓2", so there are no decorative patterns different from the decorative patterns that formed the reach displayed on the display screen 7a. Therefore, an effect in which the mode of the decorative patterns different from the decorative patterns that formed the reach displayed on the display screen 7a changes is not executed. On the other hand, the pattern mode change effect satisfies the specified condition that there is a decorative pattern (middle decorative pattern) different from the decorative patterns (first to third left and right decorative patterns) that formed the reach displayed on the display screen 7a, so a pattern mode change effect for the middle decorative pattern is executed.

As shown in Figure 52 (I) (J), when the speed of change of the central decorative pattern 8C shared by the first to third decorative patterns slows down and the pattern becomes visible, the pattern corresponding to the reach (here, "2, 6, 7") is enlarged and moves in the central decorative pattern 8C. This makes it easier to identify the winning pattern by enlarging the pattern corresponding to the reach in the central decorative pattern 8C.

Meanwhile, the state of all of the first, second, and third decorative symbols that make up the reach change. Specifically, the left decorative symbol 8L and the right decorative symbol 8R of the first, second, and third decorative symbols are enlarged and displayed. Here, the state at the time of the temporary stop before the left and right decorative symbols of the first to third decorative symbols are enlarged and displayed is the first state, and the state after they are enlarged and displayed is the third state. This makes it possible to draw the player's attention even more to the decorative symbols in the reach state.

As shown in FIG. 52 (K), the state of the first to third decorative symbols that make up the reach returns from the third state to the first state. Specifically, the left decorative symbol 8L and the right decorative symbol 8R1 of the first to third decorative symbols are displayed reduced to their normal size. This makes it possible to make the winning effect stand out by returning the left and right decorative symbols to their normal state before the symbol change effect that occurs when the jackpot is confirmed and the ball stops. On the other hand, the winning symbol can be made easier to identify by enlarging the symbol that corresponds to the reach in the middle decorative symbol 8C.

As shown in FIG. 52(L), when the middle decorative pattern 8C, which is composed of one pattern arrangement, stops and the first to third decorative patterns all stop at the same time, the pattern corresponding to the reach in the middle decorative pattern 8C is reduced from an enlarged state to a normal size. This makes it possible to clearly show the player the confirmed stop patterns (final lottery results) of each of the first to third decorative patterns.

[Pattern Change Presentation C]
Fig. 53 is a diagram for explaining the pattern mode change performance C. The pattern mode change performance is a performance in which, when the decorative pattern constitutes a reach, the mode of at least some of the decorative patterns displayed on the display screen 7a changes. Fig. 53 (A) to (F) show a first example of the pattern mode change performance C, and Fig. 53 (G) to (L) show a second example of the pattern mode change performance C.

In the first example of the pattern mode change performance C, first, as shown in FIG. 53(A), decorative patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R are displayed on the display screen 7a. Here, the reserved icon 9A and the variable icon (relevant reserved icon) 9C are not displayed, but they may be displayed.

The decorative patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R are a set of patterns including the left decorative pattern 8L, the middle decorative pattern 8C, and the right decorative pattern 8R, and the variable display of the set of patterns represents the variable display of the special pattern (special pattern variation), and the stop display of the set of patterns notifies the result of the special pattern lottery. The special pattern here may be either the first special pattern or the second special pattern. The left decorative pattern 8L, the middle decorative pattern 8C, and the right decorative pattern 8R are displayed from the top to the bottom of the display screen 7a, respectively, and when stopped, the three stop patterns are displayed vertically. Here, the pattern arrangement of the left decorative pattern 8L and the middle decorative pattern 8C is arranged in the order of "123456789" from the top to the bottom of the display screen 7a. The pattern arrangement of the right decorative pattern 8R is arranged in the order of "987654321" from the top to the bottom of the display screen 7a. In FIG. 53(A), decorative patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R are displayed in a changing manner in response to the current special pattern change (the change in question).

As shown in FIG. 53(B), the left decorative pattern 8L and the right decorative pattern 8R of the decorative patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R are temporarily stopped in order. Specifically, the left decorative pattern 8L is temporarily stopped with "123" displayed from top to bottom on the display screen 7a, and the right decorative pattern 8R is temporarily stopped with "321" displayed from top to bottom on the display screen 7a. As a result, the first row 8L1, 8C, 8R1 of decorative symbols consisting of the left decorative symbol 8L1, the middle decorative symbol 8C, and the right decorative symbol 8R1 is displayed in a losing mode of "1↓3" at the top of the display screen 7a, the second row 8L2, 8C, 8R2 of decorative symbols consisting of the left decorative symbol 8L2, the middle decorative symbol 8C, and the right decorative symbol 8R2 is displayed in a reaching mode of "2↓2" at the center of the display screen 7a, and the third row 8L3, 8C, 8R3 of decorative symbols consisting of the left decorative symbol 8L3, the middle decorative symbol 8C, and the right decorative symbol 8R3 is displayed in a losing mode of "3↓1" at the bottom of the display screen 7a. Here, among the first to third rows of decorative symbols, one or more rows may form a reaching and temporarily stop, and the other rows may temporarily stop without forming a reaching. In other words, when the left decorative pattern 8L and the right decorative pattern 8R temporarily stop in a reach state in one or more of the first to third decorative pattern columns, other decorative patterns in the same pattern column (left decorative pattern 8L and right decorative pattern 8R) as the decorative pattern that formed a reach and temporarily stopped may temporarily stop without forming a reach.

In FIG. 53(C), a symbol mode change performance is executed. Here, since the second column of the decorative symbols constitutes a "7↓7" reach, the mode of the decorative symbols (the decorative symbols of the first and third columns) different from the decorative symbols that constitute the reach displayed on the display screen 7a changes. Specifically, the "1" of the left decorative symbol 8L1 of the first column and the "3" of the right decorative symbol 8R1 are displayed in a reduced size. Similarly, the "3" of the left decorative symbol 8L3 of the third column and the "1" of the right decorative symbol 8R3 are displayed in a reduced size. Here, the mode at the time of the temporary stop before the reduced display of the decorative symbols of the first and third columns is the first mode, and the mode after the reduced display is the second mode. This makes it possible to draw the player's attention to the decorative symbols of the second column, since the decorative symbols of the first and third columns are misses among the decorative symbols of the first to third columns.

As shown in FIG. 53(D), after the state of the decorative symbols in the first and third rows changes, the state of the decorative symbols in the second row that constitute a reach changes to a state different from the decorative symbols in the first and third rows. Specifically, the "2" in the left decorative symbol 8L2 and the "2" in the right decorative symbol 8R2 of the second row are enlarged and displayed. Here, the state at the time of the temporary stop before the left and right decorative symbols of the second row are enlarged and displayed is the first state, and the state after they are enlarged and displayed is the third state. This makes it possible to draw the player's attention even more to the decorative symbols in the second row that are in the reach state.

As shown in FIG. 53(E), the state of the decorative pattern in the second row that constitutes the reach returns from the third state to the first state. Specifically, when the speed of change of the center decorative pattern 8C slows down and the pattern becomes visible, the "2" in the left decorative pattern 8L2 and the "2" in the right decorative pattern 8R2 of the second row are reduced to normal size.

As shown in FIG. 53(F), the state of the decorative symbols in the first and third rows then returns from the second state to the first state. Specifically, the "1" in the left decorative symbol 8L1 and the "3" in the right decorative symbol 8R1 of the decorative symbols in the first row, and the "3" in the left decorative symbol 8L3 and the "1" in the right decorative symbol 8R3 of the decorative symbols in the third row return to their original orientation and size. After that, the center decorative symbol 8C stops, and the decorative symbols in the first to third rows are fixed and stopped all at once. This makes it possible to clearly show the player the fixed stop patterns (final lottery results) of the decorative symbols in the first to third rows. The timing at which the decorative symbols in the first and third rows return from the second state to the first state may be the same as or different from the timing at which the decorative symbols in the second row return from the third state to the first state. Furthermore, these timings may be before the decorative patterns in the first to third rows stop being determined, or may be simultaneous with or after the decorative patterns stop being determined.

In the second example of the pattern mode change performance C, the pattern arrangement of the left decorative pattern 8L, the middle decorative pattern 8C, and the right decorative pattern 8R are all explained as being arranged in the order of "123456789" from top to bottom on the display screen 7a. As in the first example, first, the decorative patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R are displayed on the display screen 7a as shown in FIG. 53(A). The decorative patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R are displayed in a changing manner in response to the current special pattern change (the change in question).

As shown in Figure 53 (G), the left decorative pattern 8L of the decorative patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R is temporarily stopped. Specifically, the left decorative pattern 8L is temporarily stopped with "123" displayed from top to bottom on the display screen 7a, and the speed of change of the right decorative pattern 8R decreases, making the pattern visible. After that, as shown in Figure 53 (H), the right decorative pattern 8R is temporarily stopped with "123" displayed from top to bottom on the display screen 7a. As a result, the first row 8L1, 8C, 8R1 of decorative symbols consisting of the left decorative symbol 8L1, the middle decorative symbol 8C, and the right decorative symbol 8R1 is displayed in the upper part of the display screen 7a in a reach state of "1↓1", the second row 8L2, 8C, 8R2 of decorative symbols consisting of the left decorative symbol 8L2, the middle decorative symbol 8C, and the right decorative symbol 8R2 is displayed in the center of the display screen 7a in a reach state of "2↓2", and the third row 8L3, 8C, 8R3 of decorative symbols consisting of the left decorative symbol 8L3, the middle decorative symbol 8C, and the right decorative symbol 8R3 is displayed in a reach state of "3↓3" at the lower part of the display screen 7a. Here, among the first to third rows of decorative symbols, one or more rows may form a reach and temporarily stop, and the other rows may temporarily stop without forming a reach. In other words, when the left decorative pattern 8L and the right decorative pattern 8R temporarily stop in a reach state in one or more of the first to third decorative pattern columns, other decorative patterns in the same pattern column (left decorative pattern 8L and right decorative pattern 8R) as the decorative pattern that formed a reach and temporarily stopped may temporarily stop without forming a reach.

In FIG. 52(I), a pattern mode change effect is executed. Here, the decorative patterns of all the first, second and third columns have formed a reach of "1↓1", "2↓2" and "3↓3", so there are no decorative patterns in a column different from the column of decorative patterns that formed the reach displayed on the display screen 7a. Therefore, an effect is not executed in which the mode of the decorative patterns in a column different from the decorative patterns in the column that formed the reach displayed on the display screen 7a changes. In other words, here, the pattern mode change effect is executed when a predetermined condition is met that a column of decorative patterns different from the column of decorative patterns that formed the reach displayed on the display screen 7a exists.

Meanwhile, the state of all decorative symbols in the first, second, and third rows that make up the reach state changes. Specifically, the left decorative symbol 8L and the right decorative symbol 8R of the first, second, and third rows are enlarged and displayed. Here, the state at the time of the temporary stop before the left and right decorative symbols of the first to third rows are enlarged and displayed is the first state, and the state after they are enlarged and displayed is the third state. This makes it possible to draw the player's attention even more to the rows of decorative symbols in the reach state.

As shown in FIG. 53(J), when the speed of change of the center decorative pattern 8C slows down and the pattern becomes visible, the state of the decorative patterns in the first to third rows that make up the reach reverts from the third state to the first state. Specifically, the left decorative pattern 8L and the right decorative pattern 8R1 of the decorative patterns in the first to third rows are displayed reduced to their normal size. This makes it possible to make the winning effect stand out by returning the left and right decorative patterns to their normal state before the pattern change effect is performed when the jackpot is confirmed and the ball stops.

Figure 53 (K) (L) is a modified example of Figure 53 (C) (D). In Figure 53 (C), the "1" of the left decorative pattern 8L1 and the "3" of the right decorative pattern 8R1 of the first row of decorative patterns, and the "3" of the left decorative pattern 8L3 and the "1" of the right decorative pattern 8R3 of the third row of decorative patterns are displayed in a reduced size in the second mode. In addition, in Figure 53 (D), the "2" of the left decorative pattern 8L2 and the "2" of the right decorative pattern 8R2 of the second row of decorative patterns are displayed in a expanded size in the third mode. However, the second mode and the third mode are not limited to changing the size of the patterns. For example, as shown in Figure 53 (K), the left and right decorative patterns of the first and third rows may be small star-shaped figures as the second mode. In addition, the left and right decorative patterns of the second row may be luminous without changing the shape as the third mode. Also, for example, as shown in FIG. 53(L), the left and right decorative patterns in the first and third rows may be displayed lighter as a second mode. Also, the left and right decorative patterns in the second row may change color as a third mode.

[Example of effect]
Below are some examples of the effects of the pattern change effects.
[Effect 1]
In the gaming machine 1 of the above embodiment, as shown in Figures 52 and 53, when the decorative symbols form a reach, a symbol mode change effect can be executed in which the mode of at least some of the decorative symbols displayed on the display screen 7a changes from a first mode to a second mode. With this configuration, a novel effect that has never been seen before can be visually entertaining to the player, and can increase the interest of the player.
[Effect 2]
In the symbol appearance change presentation of the gaming machine 1 of the above embodiment, among the decorative symbols displayed on the display screen 7a, the appearance of the decorative symbols different from the decorative symbols that constitute the reach changes from the first appearance to the second appearance, as shown in Figures 52 and 53. According to this configuration, it is possible to visually entertain the player with an unprecedented and novel presentation, and to increase the interest.
[Effect 3]
In the symbol appearance change presentation of the gaming machine 1 of the above embodiment, as shown in Figures 52 to 53, the appearance of the decorative symbol constituting the reach changes from the first appearance to a third appearance different from the second appearance at a timing different from the timing at which the appearance of the decorative symbol different from the decorative symbol constituting the reach changes from the first appearance to the second appearance. With this configuration, it is possible to visually entertain the player with an unprecedented novel presentation, and to increase the interest.
[Effect 4]
In the gaming machine 1 of the above embodiment, as shown in Figures 52-53, when some of the decorative symbols displayed on the display screen 7a form a ready-to-win situation and are temporarily stopped, other decorative symbols in the same pattern row as the decorative symbols that formed the ready-to-win situation and temporarily stopped may temporarily stop without forming a ready-to-win situation, and in the pattern situation change presentation, the situation of the other decorative symbols that did not form a ready-to-win situation and temporarily stopped changes from the first situation to the second situation. With this configuration, the player can be visually entertained by the unprecedented and novel presentation, and the interest can be improved.
[Effect 5]
In the gaming machine 1 of the above embodiment, as shown in Figures 52-53, in the symbol state change presentation, when the decorative symbols constituting the reach are stopped in a winning or losing state, the state of the decorative symbols that changed to the second state returns to the first state. With this configuration, a novel presentation that has never been seen before can visually entertain the player, and can increase the interest.
[Effect 6]
In the gaming machine 1 of the above embodiment, as shown in Figures 52-53, when the state of the decorative pattern changes from the first state to the second state, at least one of the shape, size, direction, and darkness of the decorative pattern changes, and when the state of the decorative pattern changes from the first state to the third state, the shape, size, direction, and darkness of the decorative pattern change differently from when the state of the decorative pattern changes from the first state to the second state. With this configuration, a novel presentation that has never been seen before can be provided to visually entertain the player, and interest can be increased.
[Effect 7]
In the gaming machine 1 of the above embodiment, even if the decorative symbols form a reach, if a predetermined condition is satisfied, the symbol state change effect is not executed as shown in Figures 52 and 53. With this configuration, a novel effect that has never been seen before can be visually entertaining to the player, and it is possible to increase the interest of the player.

[Modification]
The following shows modified examples of the pattern change presentation.
[Modification 1]
In the pattern mode change performance A, the timing of Fig. 51 (D) and (C) may be reversed. In Fig. 51 (G) to (L) of the pattern mode change performance A, the second decorative pattern is described as "6↓6", but it may be a losing pattern of "6↓5". That is, among the second and third decorative patterns of the losing pattern, the third decorative pattern that satisfies a predetermined condition changes from the first pattern to the second pattern, while the second decorative pattern that does not satisfy the predetermined condition does not change in pattern. The condition here is, for example, whether the sum of the numerical values represented by the left and right decorative patterns is smaller than 10.

[Modification 2]
In the pattern mode change presentations A to C, when the decorative patterns constituting the reach are fixed and stopped in a winning or losing mode, the mode of the decorative patterns that had changed to the second mode is returned to the first mode. However, the timing at which the mode of the decorative patterns that had changed to the second mode returns to the first mode may be before or after the decorative patterns constituting the reach are fixed and stopped in a winning or losing mode.

[Modification 3]
In the pattern appearance change performances A to C, the appearance when the decorative pattern appearance changes from the first appearance to the second appearance is an example, and the appearance may be other than the changes described above as long as at least one of the shape, size, orientation, and intensity of the decorative pattern changes.

[Modification 4]
In the pattern mode change performances A to C, even if the decorative symbols constitute a reach, the pattern mode change performance may be executed only when a predetermined condition is satisfied. For example, the pattern mode change performance may be executed when the reach symbol includes "12379" and not executed when it does not include the symbol. Also, for example, the pattern mode change performance may be executed when there is a decorative symbol different from the decorative symbol that constitutes the reach displayed on the display screen 7a and not executed when it does not exist. Also, for example, the pattern mode change performance may be executed when the remaining number of times for time reduction or the remaining number of times for reaching the ceiling is equal to or greater than a predetermined number and not executed in the following cases.

[Modification 5]
In the pattern mode change performances A to C, "the mode of the patterns other than the patterns that constitute the reach" may be other patterns (the upper and lower pairs of the reach group) in the same row (for example, the left and right rows) that constitute the reach, or may be patterns in a row different from the row that constitutes the reach (for example, the middle row). For example, it may be a mode in which the first and third left and right decorative patterns in FIG. 52(C) become smaller, or a specific pattern of the middle decorative pattern in FIG. 52(I) becomes larger. Also, in the pattern mode change performances A to C, only the mode of the reach pattern may change, or only the mode of the patterns other than the reach pattern may change. Both may change.

[Example of embodiment]
In the gaming machine of this embodiment, the following aspects can be realized.
◇[Aspect A1-1]
A gaming machine having a display means capable of displaying a plurality of types of images,
One of the plurality of types of images is a decorative pattern;
When the decorative symbols constitute a reach, a symbol mode change performance can be executed in which the mode of at least a part of the decorative symbols displayed on the display means changes from a first mode to a second mode.
A gaming machine characterized by:
◇[Aspect A1-2]
The gaming machine according to aspect A1-1,
In the pattern mode change performance, the mode of the decorative pattern, which is different from the decorative pattern constituting the reach among the decorative patterns displayed on the display means, is changed from the first mode to the second mode.
A gaming machine characterized by:
◇[Aspect A1-3]
The gaming machine according to aspect A1-2,
In the pattern mode change performance, the mode of the decorative pattern constituting the reach is changed from the first mode to a third mode different from the second mode at a timing different from the timing at which the mode of the decorative pattern different from the decorative pattern constituting the reach is changed from the first mode to the second mode.
A gaming machine characterized by:
◇[Aspect A1-4]
A gaming machine according to aspect A1-2 or A1-3,
When some of the decorative symbols displayed on the display means form a reach and are temporarily stopped, other decorative symbols in the same pattern row as the decorative symbol that formed the reach and was temporarily stopped may be temporarily stopped without forming a reach,
In the pattern state change performance, the state of the other decorative pattern that is temporarily stopped without forming a reach is changed from the first state to the second state.
A gaming machine characterized by:
◇[Aspect A1-5]
A gaming machine according to any one of Aspects A1-1 to A1-4,
In the pattern mode change performance, when the decorative patterns constituting the reach are fixed and stopped in a winning or losing mode, the mode of the decorative patterns that has changed to the second mode returns to the first mode.
A gaming machine characterized by:
◇[Aspect A1-6]
The gaming machine according to Aspect A1-3,
When the aspect of the decorative pattern changes from the first aspect to the second aspect, at least one of the shape, size, orientation, and darkness of the decorative pattern changes;
When the decorative pattern changes from the first aspect to the third aspect, a change occurs in the shape, size, direction, and darkness of the decorative pattern that is different from a change from the first aspect to the second aspect.
A gaming machine characterized by:
◇[Aspect A1-7]
A gaming machine according to any one of Aspects A1-1 to A1-6,
Even if the decorative pattern constitutes a reach, if a predetermined condition is satisfied, the pattern mode change performance is not executed.
A gaming machine characterized by:

The following describes the presentation mode suggestive image hit notification effects A to C using Figures 54 to 56. These presentation mode suggestive image hit notification effects are executed during the decorative pattern change presentation, etc. In other words, the image control microcomputer 101 analyzes the command received from the sub-control board 90, and if the command contains an instruction to execute the presentation mode suggestive image hit notification effect, it reads out the corresponding image data from the ROM 103 and displays the image on the display screen 7a of the image display device 7 and the sub-display screen 64 (right sub-display screen 64R, left sub-display screen 64L, and upper sub-display screen 64U).

[Performance mode suggestion image winning notification performance A]
Fig. 54 is a diagram for explaining the presentation mode suggestive image winning notification effect A. The presentation mode suggestive image winning notification effect is an effect in which, when a winning occurs while a presentation mode suggestive image suggesting the currently selected presentation mode is being displayed, the presentation mode suggestive image notifies the winning. Figs. 54(A)-(F) show a first example of the presentation mode suggestive image winning notification effect A, and Figs. 54(G)-(L) show a second example of the presentation mode suggestive image winning notification effect A.

Here, the gaming machine 1 allows the selection of multiple presentation modes with different background images, music, etc. during the normal state variable presentation. The player switches between presentation modes by operating the select button 68. In the presentation mode suggestion image winning notification presentation A, it will be explained as if no period during which switching of presentation modes by operating the select button 68 is invalid is set, and the valid period continues. The gaming machine 1 is set to a "battle presentation mode", a "dark presentation mode", and a "happy presentation mode", and one of these presentation modes is executed. In the "battle presentation mode", an image of an enemy character fighting an ally character is displayed. In the "dark presentation mode", a dark background is displayed. In the "happy presentation mode", a heart background image is displayed.

In the first example of the presentation mode suggestion image winning notification presentation A, first, as shown in FIG. 54(A), the display screen 7a displays the decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2, the presentation mode suggestion image, background images of enemy characters and ally characters, and a channel image. Here, the hold icon 9A and the variable icon (the hold icon in question) 9C are not displayed, but they may be displayed.

The decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2 are a set of patterns including a left decorative pattern 8L2, a middle decorative pattern 8C2, and a right decorative pattern 8R2 displayed in the center of the display screen 7a, and the variable display of the set of patterns represents the variable display of the special pattern (special pattern change), and the stationary display of the set of patterns notifies the result of the special pattern selection. The special pattern here may be either the first special pattern or the second special pattern. In FIG. 54(A), the decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2 are each displayed in a variable manner in response to the current special pattern change (the change in question).

The presentation mode suggestion image is displayed in the upper left of the display screen 7a, and indicates the currently selected presentation mode. In this case, since "battle presentation mode" is selected, a text image of "battle presentation mode" is displayed inside the rectangular image. Here, the presentation mode suggestion image does not move from its position in the upper left of the display screen 7a. The channel image is displayed in the lower left of the display screen 7a, and shows the channel (number) corresponding to the currently selected presentation mode. Here, the channel for "battle presentation mode" is "1", the channel for "dark presentation mode" is "2", and the channel for "happy presentation mode" is "3". When the player operates the select button 68 in this state, the presentation mode switches to the "dark presentation mode" shown in FIG. 54 (B).

As shown in Figure 54 (B), when the presentation mode is switched, the presentation mode suggestion image changes its display content in the same position. Specifically, a text image of the currently selected "dark presentation mode" is displayed inside the rectangular image. The channel image also changes its display content in the same position. Specifically, a text image of the channel "2" of the currently selected "dark presentation mode" is displayed inside the rectangular image. The decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2 are continuously displayed in a variable manner. When the player operates the select button 68 in this state, the presentation mode is switched to the "happy presentation mode" shown in Figure 54 (C).

As shown in FIG. 54(C), when the presentation mode is switched again, the presentation mode suggestion image changes its display content again in the same position. Specifically, the text image of the currently selected "Happy presentation mode" is displayed inside the rectangular image. The channel image also changes its display content in the same position. Specifically, the text image of the currently selected channel "3" of the "Happy presentation mode" is displayed inside the rectangular image. The decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2 continue to change. After this, FIG. 54(D) shows that the speed of change of the decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2 slows down, the left decorative pattern 8L2 and the right decorative pattern 8R2 become visible, and the left decorative pattern 8L2 and the right decorative pattern 8R2 temporarily stop at "7" to enter a reach mode.

As shown in Figure 54 (D), when decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2 reach a reach state, an increase effect is executed in which the number of effect mode suggestive images displayed as "Happy effect mode" in the upper left corner of the display screen 7a increases. Here, multiple new same suggestive images are generated from the effect mode suggestive image in the upper left corner of the display screen 7a, and an effect is executed in which the generated effect mode suggestive images move. Here, as shown in Figure 54 (E), two new effect mode suggestive images are displayed, for a total of three suggestive images.

As shown in FIG. 54(E), the two moving presentation mode suggestion images slow down as the fluctuation speed of the middle decorative pattern 8C2 slows down. Then, as shown in FIG. 54(F), the movement stops when the fluctuation of the middle decorative pattern 8C2 stops. The presentation mode suggestion image displayed in the upper left of the display screen 7a does not move. In FIG. 54(F), the middle decorative pattern 8C2 stops at "7", and the decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2 stop and confirm in the winning state of "777". In conjunction with this, all (here, three) presentation mode suggestion images displayed on the display screen 7a execute a winning notification effect that notifies the player of a big win. Specifically, the text image of the presentation mode suggestion image changes from "Happy presentation mode" to "Big win!!! Happy presentation mode", notifying the player of a big win. Note that the manner of notifying the win is not limited to the above.

In a second example of the presentation mode suggestion image winning notification presentation A, as shown in Figure 54 (G), decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, 8R2, a presentation mode suggestion image, background images of enemy characters and ally characters, and a channel image are displayed on the display screen 7a.
The decorative symbols 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2 are displayed in a variable manner in response to the current special pattern variation (the variation). The presentation mode suggestion image indicates the currently selected presentation mode. Since the "battle presentation mode" is selected here, the text image of "battle presentation mode" is displayed inside the rectangular image. Here, the presentation mode suggestion image moves clockwise inside the display screen 7a in conjunction with the variable display of the decorative symbols 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2. The channel image is displayed at the bottom left of the display screen 7a, and displays the channel (number) corresponding to the currently selected presentation mode. Here, the channel "1" of the "battle presentation mode" is displayed. When the player operates the select button 68 in this state, the presentation mode is switched to the "dark presentation mode" shown in FIG. 54 (H).

As shown in FIG. 54(H), when the presentation mode is switched, the presentation mode suggestion image changes its display position and its display content changes. Specifically, the presentation mode suggestion image moves clockwise inside the display screen 7a, and the text image switches to the currently selected "dark presentation mode". The channel image changes its display content in the same position. Specifically, the channel image is displayed inside a rectangular image at the bottom left of the display screen 7a, with the text image of the currently selected "dark presentation mode" channel "2". The decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2 are continuously displayed in a variable manner. After this, when the variable speed of the decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2 decreases, the moving speed of the presentation mode suggestion image also decreases accordingly. If the decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2 do not become a reach mode, the number of presentation mode suggestion images does not change.

Figure 54 (I) shows the state in which the decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2 are then fixed and stopped. When the decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2 stop changing, the performance mode suggestion image stops moving. The channel image does not change position from the bottom left of the display screen 7a.

As shown in FIG. 54 (J), when the decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2 start to change next time, the performance mode suggestion image resumes moving. Here, the performance mode suggestion image moves clockwise around the inside of the display screen 7a from the position where it was stopped and displayed on the display screen 7a.

As shown in Figure 54 (K), when the decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2 reach the "7↓7" state, an increase effect is executed in which the number of effect mode suggestive images displayed on the display screen 7a, labeled "Happy effect mode", increases. Here, multiple new same suggestive images are generated from the effect mode suggestive image moving clockwise on the display screen 7a, and an effect is executed in which the generated effect mode suggestive images move in a spreading manner. Here, as shown in Figure 54 (L), two new effect mode suggestive images are displayed, for a total of three suggestive images.

As shown in FIG. 54 (L), the three presentation mode suggestion images stop moving when the middle decorative pattern 8C2 stops changing. The middle decorative pattern 8C2 stops at "7", and the decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2 stop and confirm the winning pattern of "777". In conjunction with this, all (here, three) presentation mode suggestion images displayed on the display screen 7a execute a winning notification effect to notify the player of a big win. Specifically, the text image of the presentation mode suggestion image changes from "Happy presentation mode" to "Big win!!! Happy presentation mode", notifying the player of a big win. Note that the manner in which a win is notified is not limited to the above.

[Performance mode suggestion image winning notification performance B]
55 is a diagram for explaining the presentation mode suggestive image winning notification presentation B. The presentation mode suggestive image winning notification presentation is a presentation in which, when a winning occurs while a presentation mode suggestive image suggesting the currently selected presentation mode is being displayed, the presentation mode suggestive image notifies the winning.

Here, the gaming machine 1 allows the selection of multiple presentation modes with different background images, music, etc., during normal state variation presentation. The presentation mode is switched by the player operating the select button 68. In the presentation mode suggestion image winning notification presentation B, a period during which the switching of the presentation mode by operating the select button 68 is valid and a period during which it is invalid are set. Here, when the presentation mode suggestion image is displayed (visible), the period during which the switching of the presentation mode by operating the select button 68 is invalid, and when the presentation mode suggestion image is not displayed (difficult to see), the period during which the switching of the presentation mode by operating the select button 68 is valid. Here, the presentation mode suggestion image is displayed when the presentation mode is switched and when the patterns of the decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2 are visible. Specifically, it is displayed for a predetermined period after the presentation mode is switched, when the variation of the decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2 stops, and when the patterns are varying at a low speed immediately after the variation starts and immediately before the variation stops. When the performance mode has not been changed and the decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2 are changing at high speeds and cannot be seen, the performance mode suggestion image will not be displayed.

The gaming machine 1 is set to a "battle presentation mode," a "dark presentation mode," and a "happy presentation mode," and one of these presentation modes is executed. In the "battle presentation mode," an image of an enemy character fighting an ally character is displayed. In the "dark presentation mode," a dark background is displayed. In the "happy presentation mode," a background image of hearts is displayed.

In the mode suggestion image winning notification effect B, first, as shown in FIG. 55 (A), the decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2, the mode suggestion image, and the channel image are displayed on the display screen 7a. Here, the hold icon 9A and the variable icon (the hold icon) 9C are not displayed, but they may be displayed.

The decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2 are a set of patterns including a left decorative pattern 8L2, a middle decorative pattern 8C2, and a right decorative pattern 8R2 displayed in the center of the display screen 7a, and the variable display of the set of patterns represents the variable display of the special pattern (special pattern variation), and the static display of the set of patterns notifies the result of the special pattern selection. The special pattern here may be either the first special pattern or the second special pattern. In Figure 55 (A), the decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2 are statically displayed.

The presentation mode suggestion image indicates the currently selected presentation mode. In this case, "dark presentation mode" has been selected, so a text image of "dark presentation mode" is displayed inside the rectangular image. Here, the presentation mode suggestion image moves clockwise around the inside of the display screen 7a in accordance with the changing display of the decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2. In FIG. 55(A), the decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2 are "displayed (stopped display)" in the "stopped state", so the presentation mode suggestion image is "displayed (stopped display)" in the "stopped state". Also, because the presentation mode suggestion image is displayed, switching the presentation mode by operating the select button 68 is invalid (not possible) during this period.

The channel image is displayed in the bottom left of the display screen 7a, and displays the channel (number) corresponding to the currently selected presentation mode. Here, the channel for the "battle presentation mode" is "1", the channel for the "dark presentation mode" is "2", and the channel for the "happy presentation mode" is "3".

As shown in FIG. 55(B), when the decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2 start to change next time, the presentation mode suggestion image resumes moving. Here, the presentation mode suggestion image moves clockwise around the inside of the display screen 7a from the position where it was stopped on the display screen 7a. When the change speed of the decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2 increases and the patterns become difficult to see, the display of the presentation mode suggestion image disappears as shown in FIG. 55(C). Since the presentation mode suggestion image is not displayed, the period switches to a period in which the switching of the presentation mode by operating the select button 68 is valid. At this time, when the player operates the select button 68, the presentation mode switches to the "happy presentation mode" shown in FIG. 55(D). The presentation mode suggestion image may disappear after a predetermined period (e.g., 2 seconds) has elapsed since the change speed of the decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2 increases and the patterns become difficult to see.

As shown in FIG. 55 (D), when the presentation mode is switched, the presentation mode suggestion image appears again and moves with the display content changed. Specifically, the presentation mode suggestion image moves clockwise around the inside of the display screen 7a with the text image switched to the currently selected "Happy presentation mode". Because the presentation mode suggestion image is displayed, switching of the presentation mode by operating the select button 68 is invalid (impossible) during this period. The channel image remains in the same position and the display content changes to channel "3" of the "Happy presentation mode". The decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2 are continuously displayed in a variable manner.

As shown in FIG. 55(E), the presentation mode suggestion image disappears a predetermined time (e.g., 2 seconds) after the decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2 start to change. When the presentation mode suggestion image disappears, the display switches to a period in which the presentation mode can be changed by operating the select button 68.

As shown in FIG. 55(F), when the speed of change of the left and right decorative patterns 8L2, 8R2 out of the decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, 8R2 slows down and the patterns become visible, the performance mode suggestion image reappears and moves clockwise around the inside of the display screen 7a. Because the performance mode suggestion image is displayed, the period switches to one in which switching of the performance mode by operating the select button 68 is invalid (not possible).

Figure 55 (G) shows a state in which the left decorative pattern 8L2 and the right decorative pattern 8R2 have temporarily stopped at "7" and are in a reach state. When some of the decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2 are displayed as temporarily stopped (here, in a reach state), an increase effect is executed in which the number of performance mode suggestive images displayed on the display screen 7a, labeled "happy performance mode", increases. Here, a performance is executed in which multiple new same suggestive images are generated from the performance mode suggestive image moving clockwise on the display screen 7a, and the generated performance mode suggestive images move in a spreading manner. Here, two new performance mode suggestive images are displayed as shown in Figure 55 (G), for a total of three suggestive images being displayed.

As shown in FIG. 55 (H), the three presentation mode suggestion images stop moving together with the stop of the change in the middle decorative pattern 8C2. The middle decorative pattern 8C2 stops at "7", and the decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2 stop in a confirmed winning pattern of "777". In conjunction with this, all (here, three) presentation mode suggestion images displayed on the display screen 7a execute a winning notification effect to notify the player of a big win. Specifically, the text image of the presentation mode suggestion image changes from "Happy presentation mode" to "Big win!!! Happy presentation mode", notifying the player of a big win. Note that the manner in which a win is notified is not limited to the above.

Figures 55 (I) to (J) are effects that are executed after Figure 55 (F) and instead of Figures 55 (G) to (H). Figure 55 (I) shows a state in which the left decorative pattern 8L2 is temporarily stopped at "5" and the right decorative pattern 8R2 is temporarily stopped at "6", resulting in a losing mode. When some of the decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2 are temporarily stopped (here, a losing mode), an increase effect is executed in which the number of performance mode suggestion images displayed on the display screen 7a, labeled "happy performance mode", increases. Here, an effect is executed in which two performance mode suggestion images are displayed: a performance mode suggestion image moving to the right on the display screen 7a and a performance mode suggestion image moving to the left.

As shown in FIG. 55 (J), the two presentation mode suggestion images stop moving when the middle decorative pattern 8C2 stops changing. The middle decorative pattern 8C2 stops at "3", and the decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2 stop at the losing pattern of "536". At the same time, all of the presentation mode suggestion images (two in this case) displayed on the display screen 7a stop moving. The display content of the presentation mode suggestion images does not change.

Figure 55 (K) is an effect that is executed in place of Figure 55 (J). In Figure 55 (J), the display content of the effect mode suggestion image does not change, but here, the display content changes to execute a loss notification effect that notifies the player of a loss. Specifically, the text image of the effect mode suggestion image changes from "Happy effect mode" to "Sorry, you've lost!!! Happy effect mode", notifying the player of a loss. Note that the manner in which a loss is notified is not limited to the above.

Figure 55 (L) is an effect that is executed in place of Figure 55 (J) and Figure 55 (K). In Figure 55 (J) and (K), the number of effect mode suggestion images increases and stops, but here, the number of effect mode suggestion images returns to the original number. Specifically, after Figure 55 (I), when the decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2 are fixed and stopped in the losing pattern of "536", the two moving effect mode suggestion images disappear, and a single effect mode suggestion image is displayed in a stopped state in the upper left corner of the display screen 7a.

[Performance mode suggestion image winning notification performance C]
56 is a diagram for explaining the presentation mode suggestive image winning notification presentation C. The presentation mode suggestive image winning notification presentation is a presentation in which, when a winning occurs while a presentation mode suggestive image suggesting the currently selected presentation mode is being displayed, the presentation mode suggestive image notifies the winning.

Here, the gaming machine 1 allows the selection of multiple presentation modes with different background images, music, etc., during normal state variation presentation. The player operates the select button 68 to switch between presentation modes. In the presentation mode suggestion image winning notification presentation C, a period during which the switching of presentation modes by operating the select button 68 is valid and a period during which it is invalid are set. Here, when the presentation mode suggestion image is displayed (visible), the period during which the switching of presentation modes by operating the select button 68 is invalid, and when the presentation mode suggestion image is not displayed (difficult to see), the period during which the switching of presentation modes by operating the select button 68 is valid. Here, the presentation mode suggestion image is displayed when the decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2 are visible. Specifically, the presentation mode suggestion image is displayed when the decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2 stop varying, and when the patterns are varying at a low speed immediately after the start of the variation and immediately before the variation stops. When the decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2 are varying at a high speed and cannot be seen, the presentation mode suggestion image is not displayed.

The gaming machine 1 is set to a "battle presentation mode," a "dark presentation mode," and a "happy presentation mode," and one of these presentation modes is executed. In the "battle presentation mode," an image of an enemy character fighting an ally character is displayed. In the "dark presentation mode," a dark background is displayed. In the "happy presentation mode," a background image of hearts is displayed.

In the performance mode suggestion image winning notification performance C, first, as shown in FIG. 56 (A), the display screen 7a displays the decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2, the performance mode suggestion image, background images of enemy characters and ally characters, and a channel image. Here, the hold icon 9A and the variable icon (the hold icon in question) 9C are not displayed, but they may be displayed.

The decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2 are a set of patterns including a left decorative pattern 8L2, a middle decorative pattern 8C2, and a right decorative pattern 8R2 displayed in the center of the display screen 7a, and the variable display of the set of patterns represents the variable display of the special pattern (special pattern variation), and the static display of the set of patterns notifies the result of the special pattern selection. The special pattern here may be either the first special pattern or the second special pattern. In FIG. 56(A), the decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2 are statically displayed.

The presentation mode suggestion image indicates the currently selected presentation mode. In this case, since "battle presentation mode" is selected, a text image of "battle presentation mode" is displayed inside the rectangular image. Here, the presentation mode suggestion image moves rightward above the display screen 7a in conjunction with the changing display of the decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2, frames out of the right edge of the display screen 7a, and then repeats this movement pattern of framing in from the left edge of the display screen 7a and moving rightward. In FIG. 56(A), the decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2 are "displayed (stopped display)" in the "stopped state", so the presentation mode suggestion image is "displayed (stopped display)" in the "stopped state". Also, since the presentation mode suggestion image is displayed, switching the presentation mode by operating the select button 68 is invalid (not possible) during this period.

The channel image is displayed in the bottom left of the display screen 7a, and displays the channel (number) corresponding to the currently selected presentation mode. Here, the channel for the "battle presentation mode" is "1", the channel for the "dark presentation mode" is "2", and the channel for the "happy presentation mode" is "3".

As shown in Figure 56 (B), when the decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2 start to change next time, the presentation mode suggestion image resumes moving to the right in tandem. When the speed at which the decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2 change increases and the patterns become difficult to see, the presentation mode suggestion image also speeds up and disappears, as shown in Figure 56 (C). Here, a linear image moving at high speed can be seen. Because the presentation mode suggestion image is not displayed, the period switches to one in which switching of presentation modes by operating the select button 68 is valid. If the player operates the select button 68 at this time, the presentation mode switches to the "dark presentation mode" shown in Figure 56 (D).

As shown in Figure 56 (D), even when the presentation mode is switched, the decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2 continue to be displayed in a variable manner, so the presentation mode suggestion image does not appear. Because the presentation mode suggestion image is not displayed, the period during which switching of the presentation mode by operating the select button 68 remains valid. The channel image remains in the same position, and the display content is changed to channel "2" in the "dark presentation mode." If the player then operates the select button 68, the presentation mode will switch to the "happy presentation mode" shown in Figure 56 (E).

As shown in FIG. 56 (E), even when the presentation mode is switched, the decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2 continue to be displayed in a variable manner, so the presentation mode suggestion image does not appear. Because the presentation mode suggestion image is not displayed, the period during which switching of presentation modes by operating the select button 68 is valid remains. The channel image is displayed in the same position, but the display content is changed to channel "3" of the "Happy presentation mode."

As shown in FIG. 56(F), when the speed of change of the left and right decorative patterns 8L2, 8R2 among the decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, 8R2 slows down and the patterns become visible, the presentation mode suggestion image reappears and moves to the right above the display screen 7a. That is, the presentation mode suggestion image becomes visible in conjunction with a part of the decorative pattern becoming visible, regardless of whether or not the player operates it. Also, the presentation mode suggestion image is not displayed when the presentation mode is switched, and is not displayed for a predetermined period after the switch until the change slows down (a part of the decorative pattern becomes visible), and is then displayed. Because the presentation mode suggestion image is displayed in FIG. 56(F), the period switches to one in which switching of the presentation mode by operating the select button 68 is invalid (impossible).

Figure 56 (G) shows a state in which the left decorative pattern 8L2 and the right decorative pattern 8R2 have temporarily stopped at "7" and are in a reach state. When some of the decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2 are displayed as temporarily stopped (here, in a reach state), an increase effect is executed in which the number of effect mode suggestive images displayed as "happy effect mode" on the display screen 7a increases. Here, an effect is executed in which multiple effect mode suggestive images moving to the right above the display screen 7a are displayed. Here, multiple effect mode suggestive images are displayed while repeatedly framing in and out of the frame, as shown in Figure 56 (G).

As shown in FIG. 56(H), the multiple presentation mode suggestion images stop moving together with the stop of the change in the middle decorative pattern 8C2. The middle decorative pattern 8C2 stops at "7", and the decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2 stop and confirm the winning pattern of "777". In conjunction with this, the multiple (here, two) presentation mode suggestion images displayed on the display screen 7a are displayed frozen. After that, as shown in FIG. 56(I), a winning notification presentation is executed to notify the player of a big win. Specifically, the text image of the presentation mode suggestion image changes from "Happy presentation mode" to "Big win!!! Happy presentation mode", notifying the player of a big win. Note that the manner in which a win is notified is not limited to the above.

Figure 56 (J) is an effect that is executed after Figure 56 (G) and instead of Figure 56 (H) (I). In Figure 56 (J), three effect mode suggestion images are displayed in a stopped state as the decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2 stop in a winning state, and a winning notification effect is executed to notify of a big win. In other words, the number of effect mode suggestion images displayed in a stopped state on the display screen 7a is determined randomly, and the number displayed may be two or three.

Figure 56 (K) is a modified example that is executed after Figure 56 (D). In Figure 56 (K), after the presentation mode is switched, a presentation mode suggestion image may be displayed temporarily (e.g., for two seconds) after a predetermined period of time has elapsed (e.g., after two seconds). While the presentation mode suggestion image is temporarily displayed, the period switches to an invalid period during which switching of the presentation mode by operating the select button 68 is disabled. Alternatively, after Figure 56 (D), when a predetermined operation is performed by the player, as in Figure 56 (K), a presentation mode suggestion image may be displayed temporarily (e.g., for two seconds). While the presentation mode suggestion image is temporarily displayed, the period switches to an invalid period during which switching of the presentation mode by operating the select button 68 is disabled.

Figure 56 (L) is a modified example that is executed in place of Figure 56 (D). In Figure 56 (L), the linear image moving at high speed is not displayed. In other words, when the presentation mode suggestion image disappears, no image related to the movement of the presentation mode suggestion image is displayed. As with Figure 56 (D), this is the period during which switching of presentation modes by operating the select button 68 is valid.

[Example of effect]
Below, an example of the effect of the notification effect when the presentation mode suggestion image is hit is shown.
[Effect 1]
In the gaming machine 1 of the above embodiment, when a winning combination occurs while a presentation mode suggestion image suggesting the currently selected presentation mode is displayed on the display screen 7a, a winning notification presentation can be executed in which the presentation mode suggestion image notifies the winning combination, as shown in Figures 54 to 56. With this configuration, a novel presentation that has never been seen before can be visually entertaining to the player, and can increase the player's interest.
[Effect 2]
In the gaming machine 1 of the above embodiment, as shown in Figures 54 to 56, a plurality of presentation mode suggestion images are displayed on the display screen 7a, and in the winning notification presentation, each presentation mode display image notifies the player of a winning. With this configuration, a novel presentation that has never been seen before can be visually entertaining to the player, and the player's interest can be enhanced.
[Effect 3]
In the gaming machine 1 of the above embodiment, as shown in Figures 56 (I) and (J), the number of presentation mode suggestion images displayed on the display screen 7a changes, and in the winning notification presentation, the number of presentation mode suggestion images that notify a winning may differ depending on the winning. With this configuration, a novel presentation that has never been seen before can visually entertain the player, and can increase the interest.
[Effect 4]
In the gaming machine 1 of the above embodiment, when the decorative symbols change while the presentation mode suggestion image is displayed on the display screen 7a, a moving presentation can be executed in which the presentation mode suggestion image moves in conjunction with the decorative symbols, as shown in Figures 54(G)-(K) and 56. With this configuration, a novel presentation that has never been seen before can be visually entertaining to the player, and can increase the player's interest.
[Effect 5]
In the gaming machine 1 of the above embodiment, as shown in Figures 56(F) and 56(H), the presentation mode suggestion image disappears while the decorative symbols are changing, and is then displayed regardless of whether or not the player operates the device, and is displayed when the decorative symbols are stationary. With this configuration, the player can be visually entertained by the unprecedented novel presentation, and the interest can be increased.
[Effect 6]
In the gaming machine 1 of the above embodiment, as shown in Figures 56(D) to (F), when the presentation mode is switched by the operation of the player, the presentation mode suggestion image is not displayed for a predetermined period of time after the switching, and is then displayed regardless of whether the player operates or not. With this configuration, the player can be visually entertained by the unprecedented and novel presentation, and the interest can be increased.

[Modification]
Below, modified examples of the notification effect of the presentation mode suggestion image are shown.
[Modification 1]
In the presentation mode suggestive image winning notification presentations A to C, the text content of the presentation mode suggestive image changes when a winning is selected to notify the winner. However, the manner in which the presentation mode suggestive image notifies the winner is not limited to this. For example, the presentation mode suggestive image may split into two and fireworks or the like may appear from the split part.

[Modification 2]
In the presentation mode suggestive image winning notification presentations A to C, all of the presentation mode suggestive images displayed at the time of winning are intended to notify the winning. However, only a part of the presentation mode suggestive images displayed may be intended to notify the winning.

[Modification 3]
In the presentation mode suggestion image winning notification presentations A to C, the number of presentation mode suggestion images when notifying a winning may differ depending on the winning. For example, the number of presentation mode suggestion images displayed on the display screen 7a in Figures 54(D) and (E), 55(G), and 56(G) may change randomly, or may change depending on the winning type or the stopping pattern.

[Modification 4]
In the performance mode suggestion image winning notification performance C, when the decorative pattern changes in the up-down direction while the performance mode suggestion image is displayed on the display screen 7a, the performance mode suggestion image moves in a left-right direction different from the changing direction of the decorative pattern in conjunction with the decorative pattern. However, the performance mode suggestion image may move in the same direction as the changing direction of the decorative pattern in conjunction with the decorative pattern.

[Example of embodiment]
In the gaming machine of this embodiment, the following aspects can be realized.
◇[Aspect A2-1]
A gaming machine having a display means capable of displaying a plurality of types of images,
One of the plurality of types of images is a presentation mode suggestion image suggesting a currently selected presentation mode,
When a win occurs while the presentation mode suggestion image is displayed on the display means, a winning notification effect is executed in which the presentation mode suggestion image notifies a win.
A gaming machine characterized by:
◇[Aspect A2-2]
The gaming machine according to Aspect A2-1,
A plurality of the presentation mode suggestion images are displayed on the display means, and in the winning notification presentation, each of the presentation mode display images notifies a winning.
A gaming machine characterized by:
◇[Aspect A2-3]
The gaming machine according to aspect A2-2,
The number of the presentation mode suggestion images displayed on the display means changes, and in the winning notification presentation, the number of the presentation mode suggestion images notifying a winning may differ depending on the winning.
A gaming machine characterized by:
◇[Aspect A2-4]
A gaming machine according to any one of Aspects A2-1 to A2-3,
One of the plurality of types of images is a decorative pattern;
When the decorative pattern changes while the presentation mode suggestion image is displayed on the display means, a moving presentation in which the presentation mode suggestion image moves in conjunction with the decorative pattern can be executed.
A gaming machine characterized by:
◇[Aspect A2-5]
The gaming machine according to aspect A2-4,
the presentation mode suggestion image disappears while the decorative pattern is varying, and is thereafter displayed regardless of whether or not a player performs an operation, and is displayed when the decorative pattern is stationary;
A gaming machine characterized by:
◇[Aspect A2-6]
A gaming machine according to any one of Aspects A2-1 to A2-5,
When the presentation mode is switched by an operation by a player, the presentation mode suggestion image is not displayed for a predetermined period of time after the switching, and is then displayed regardless of whether or not the player operates the image.
A gaming machine characterized by:
◆[Aspect A2-7]
A gaming machine according to any one of Aspects A2-1 to A2-4,
One of the plurality of types of images is an image different from the presentation mode suggestion image, and is a predetermined position presentation mode suggestion image suggesting a presentation mode at a predetermined position of the display means,
The predetermined position performance mode suggestion image does not notify a win.
A gaming machine characterized by:
◆[Aspect A2-8]
The gaming machine according to any one of Aspects A2-1 to A2-5 further comprises:
The game machine includes an operating means operable by a player,
During a period in which the presentation mode can be switched by operating the operating means, the presentation mode suggestion image is not displayed,
The presentation mode suggestion image is displayed during a period in which the presentation mode cannot be switched by operating the operation means.
A gaming machine characterized by:

The moving pattern mode change presentations A to C are explained below using Figures 57 to 59. These moving pattern mode change presentations are executed during the decorative pattern variation presentation, etc. In other words, the image control microcomputer 101 analyzes the command received from the sub-control board 90, and if the command to execute the moving pattern mode change presentation is included, it reads out the corresponding image data from the ROM 103 and displays the image on the display screen 7a of the image display device 7 and the sub-display screen 64 (right sub-display screen 64R, left sub-display screen 64L, and upper sub-display screen 64U).

[Moving pattern change performance A]
FIG. 57 is a diagram for explaining the moving pattern mode change performance A. The moving pattern mode change performance is a performance in which the mode of the decorative pattern changes to a second mode while continuing to move in a first mode. In the moving pattern mode change performance A, first, as shown in FIG. 57 (A), the decorative patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R are displayed on the display screen 7a. Here, the reserved icon 9A and the variable icon (reserved icon) 9C are not displayed, but may be displayed.

The decorative patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R are a set of patterns including a left decorative pattern 8L, a middle decorative pattern 8C, and a right decorative pattern 8R. The variable display of the set of patterns represents the variable display of the special pattern (special pattern variation), and the stationary display of the set of patterns notifies the result of the special pattern lottery. The special pattern here may be either the first special pattern or the second special pattern. The left decorative pattern 8L, the middle decorative pattern 8C, and the right decorative pattern 8R are displayed from the top to the bottom of the display screen 7a, respectively, and during deceleration variation, they are displayed vertically side by side and move so that three or more patterns are visible at the same time on the display screen 7a. Here, the pattern arrangement of the left decorative pattern 8L, the middle decorative pattern 8C, and the right decorative pattern 8R is arranged from the top to the bottom of the display screen 7a in the order of "123456789".

In FIG. 57(A), the decorative patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R change at high speed, then the change speed slows down, and the left decorative pattern 8L, the middle decorative pattern 8C, and the right decorative pattern 8R are displayed with a decelerating change from top to bottom. The decelerating change here means that the contents of the patterns included in the vertical pattern arrangement of the left decorative pattern 8L, the middle decorative pattern 8C, and the right decorative pattern 8R move at a speed at which they are visible. On the other hand, the high-speed change means that the contents of the patterns included in the vertical pattern arrangement of the left decorative pattern 8L, the middle decorative pattern 8C, and the right decorative pattern 8R move at a speed at which they are difficult to see. In this case, a vertical line-shaped image accompanying the high-speed movement may be displayed.

As shown in Figure 57 (B), after Figure 57 (A), the left decorative pattern 8L, the middle decorative pattern 8C, and the right decorative pattern 8R each maintain a state of decelerating and varying from top to bottom while the orientation of each pattern included in each pattern array is reversed up and down. Here, each pattern is rotated 90 degrees to the right or left, thereby reversing its up and down orientation. In this way, when the orientation of the pattern is reversed up and down during the variation, this suggests that the expectation of a win in that variation is higher than if it were not the case. Here, it is suggested that the expectation increases by 20%.

After that, as shown in Figure 57 (C), the decorative patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R increase in speed and enter a high-speed fluctuation state again, and the contents of the left decorative pattern 8L, the middle decorative pattern 8C, and the right decorative pattern 8R become difficult to see. In this way, when the speed increases during a deceleration fluctuation and enters a high-speed fluctuation state again, it suggests that the expectation of a win in that fluctuation is higher than if it did not. Here, it is suggested that the expectation has increased by another 5%, to 25%.

After that, as shown in FIG. 57(D), the rate of change of the left decorative pattern 8L, the middle decorative pattern 8C, and the right decorative pattern 8R slows down. After the decelerating change, each pattern included in each pattern array is inverted while maintaining the decelerating change state. Here, each pattern is inverted by rotating around the vertical axis. When a pattern is inverted during a change in this way, it suggests that the expectation of a win in that change is higher than if it did not happen. Here, it suggests that the expectation has increased by a further 25%, to 50%.

After that, as shown in FIG. 57(E), the left decorative pattern 8L, the middle decorative pattern 8C, and the right decorative pattern 8R maintain the decelerated fluctuating state, while the orientation of each pattern included in each pattern array returns to the normal state (normal orientation). After that, the fluctuating speed further decreases and the patterns are temporarily stopped. When the patterns are temporarily stopped, as shown in FIG. 57(F), the left decorative pattern 8L, the middle decorative pattern 8C, and the right decorative pattern 8R display only one pattern in each pattern array, and the display of the other patterns disappears. Here, the left decorative pattern 8L → right decorative pattern 8R → middle decorative pattern 8C are temporarily stopped in that order, and after the three patterns are temporarily stopped, the number of patterns displayed in each pattern array becomes only one at the same time. After that, the left decorative pattern 8L, the middle decorative pattern 8C, and the right decorative pattern 8R are fixedly stopped with only one pattern displayed.

Figures 57(G)-(I) are executed after Figure 57(A) and instead of Figures 57(B)-(D). In Figures 57(G)-(I), the decorative symbols are "normal direction deceleration change" → "upside down" → "fast change" → "reverse" → "normal direction deceleration change". In the following Figures 57(G)-(I), the decorative symbols are "normal direction deceleration change" → "reverse" → "fast change" → "upside down" → "normal direction deceleration change". In this way, in the gaming machine 1, multiple types of change patterns are set with different combinations of the execution order and presence/absence of "reverse", "fast change" and "upside down", and one change pattern is executed by lottery.

As shown in Figure 57 (G), after Figure 57 (A), the left decorative pattern 8L, the middle decorative pattern 8C, and the right decorative pattern 8R each maintain a state of decelerating change from top to bottom while each pattern included in each pattern array is inverted. Here, each pattern is inverted by rotating around the vertical direction as an axis of rotation. When a pattern is inverted during a change in this way, it suggests that the expectation of a win in that change is higher than if it did not happen. Here, it is suggested that the expectation rate increases by 25%.

After that, as shown in Figure 57 (H), the fluctuation speed increases and the state changes to high speed again, and the contents of each of the left decorative pattern 8L, the middle decorative pattern 8C, and the right decorative pattern 8R become difficult to see. In this way, when the speed increases during deceleration fluctuation and the state changes to high speed again, it suggests that the expectation of a win in that fluctuation is higher than if it did not happen. Here, it is suggested that the expectation has increased by another 5%, to 30%.

After that, as shown in FIG. 57(I), the rate of change of the left decorative pattern 8L, the middle decorative pattern 8C, and the right decorative pattern 8R slows down. After the deceleration change, the orientation of each pattern in each pattern array is reversed upside down while maintaining the deceleration change state. Here, each pattern is rotated 90 degrees to the right or left, so that its upside down orientation is reversed. In this way, when the orientation of a pattern is reversed upside down during a change, this suggests that the probability of a win in that change is higher than if it did not happen. Here, it is suggested that the probability of expectation has increased by a further 20%, reaching 50%.

After that, as shown in FIG. 57(E), the left decorative pattern 8L, the middle decorative pattern 8C, and the right decorative pattern 8R maintain the decelerated fluctuating state, while the orientation of each pattern included in each pattern array returns to the normal state. After that, the fluctuating speed further decreases and the patterns are temporarily stopped. When the patterns are temporarily stopped, as shown in FIG. 57(F), the left decorative pattern 8L, the middle decorative pattern 8C, and the right decorative pattern 8R are displayed as only one pattern in each pattern array, and the display of the other patterns disappears. Here, the left decorative pattern 8L → right decorative pattern 8R → middle decorative pattern 8C are temporarily stopped in that order, and after the three patterns displayed simultaneously are temporarily stopped, the number of patterns displayed in each pattern array becomes only one at the same time. After that, the left decorative pattern 8L, the middle decorative pattern 8C, and the right decorative pattern 8R are fixedly stopped with only one pattern displayed.

Figures 57 (J) to (L) are modified examples executed between Figures 57 (E) and 57 (F). In the above embodiment, the left decorative pattern 8L, the middle decorative pattern 8C, and the right decorative pattern 8R are temporarily stopped in the order of left decorative pattern 8L → right decorative pattern 8R → middle decorative pattern 8C, and after the three patterns are temporarily stopped, the number of patterns displayed in each pattern arrangement is simultaneously reduced to just one. In the modified example, the order of left decorative pattern 8L → right decorative pattern 8R → middle decorative pattern 8C is temporarily stopped, and the number of patterns displayed in sequence from the temporarily stopped pattern arrangement is reduced to just one.

In addition, if the left decorative pattern 8L and the right decorative pattern 8R temporarily stop in a reach state, the state of the fluctuating middle decorative pattern 8C may or may not change, and here, the effect in which it changes is shown. Note that, if the left decorative pattern 8L and the right decorative pattern 8R temporarily stop in a loss state, the effect in which the state of the middle decorative pattern 8C changes is not executed.

In FIG. 57(J), the left decorative pattern 8L and the right decorative pattern 8R temporarily stop in the order of left decorative pattern 8L → right decorative pattern 8R, and after each stops, only one pattern is displayed. The middle decorative pattern 8C is displayed with a decelerating fluctuation from top to bottom. At this time, the left decorative pattern 8L and the right decorative pattern 8R are in a reach state of "8↓8", so depending on the fluctuation pattern, a performance may be executed in which the state of the middle decorative pattern 8C changes. The cases in which this is executed are explained below.

As shown in Figure 57 (K), while the central decorative pattern 8C maintains its decelerating state, the orientation of each pattern in the pattern array is reversed and inverted. Here, each pattern is rotated 90 degrees to the right or left so that its top and bottom are reversed, and then each pattern rotates around the up-down direction as an axis of rotation, thereby inverting it. In this way, when a pattern is turned upside down and inverted during a change, it suggests that the probability of a win in that change is higher than if it did not happen. Here, it is suggested that the probability of expectation has increased by a further 25%, to 75%.

After that, as shown in FIG. 57(L), the speed of fluctuation of the middle decorative pattern 8C increases and it changes to a high-speed fluctuation state again, and the contents of each pattern become difficult to see. In this way, when the speed increases during deceleration fluctuation and it changes to a high-speed fluctuation state again, it suggests that the expectation of a win in that fluctuation is higher than if it did not happen. Here, it is suggested that the expectation rate has increased by another 5%, to 80%.

Then, the orientation of each of the symbols in the symbol array returns to its normal state while the center decorative pattern 8C maintains its decelerated state. After that, the rate of change further decreases and the symbols temporarily stop. When the symbols temporarily stop, as shown in FIG. 57(F), the center decorative pattern 8C displays only one symbol in the symbol array, and the other symbols disappear. As a result, the left decorative pattern 8L, center decorative pattern 8C, and right decorative pattern 8R stop with only one symbol displayed.

[Moving pattern change performance B]
Fig. 58 is a diagram for explaining the moving pattern mode change performance B. The moving pattern mode change performance is a performance in which the mode of the decorative pattern continues to move in a first mode and changes to a second mode. Fig. 58 (A) to (F) shows a first example of the moving pattern mode change performance B. Fig. 58 (G) to (I) shows a second example of the moving pattern mode change performance B. Fig. 58 (J) to (L) shows a third example of the moving pattern mode change performance B.

In moving pattern mode change performance B, the left decorative pattern 8L and the right decorative pattern 8R among the decorative patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R start to change in the normal orientation and are displayed stopped in the normal orientation, and are not upside down or inverted. In other words, here, the moving pattern mode change performance is not executed for the left decorative pattern 8L and the right decorative pattern 8R, and the moving pattern mode change performance is executed only for the middle decorative pattern 8C. In the first example of moving pattern mode change performance B, Figures 58 (A) to (F), a case is described where the left decorative pattern 8L and the right decorative pattern 8R are in a reach mode and the moving pattern mode change performance is executed.

In FIG. 58(A), the left decorative pattern 8L and the right decorative pattern 8R, after high-speed fluctuation, temporarily stop in the normal orientation in the order of left decorative pattern 8L → right decorative pattern 8R, and only one pattern is displayed after each stop. The middle decorative pattern 8C is displayed with a decelerated fluctuation from top to bottom. At this time, the left decorative pattern 8L and the right decorative pattern 8R are in a reach state of "8↓8", so depending on the fluctuation pattern, a performance in which the state of the middle decorative pattern 8C changes (moving pattern state change performance) may be executed. The cases in which this is executed are explained below. Note that if the left decorative pattern 8L and the right decorative pattern 8R temporarily stop in a losing state, a performance in which the state of the middle decorative pattern 8C changes (moving pattern state change performance) is not executed.

As shown in Figure 58 (B), the orientation of each of the symbols included in the symbol array is reversed while the central decorative pattern 8C maintains its decelerating and varying state. Here, the symbols are reversed by rotating around the vertical axis. In this way, when a pattern is reversed during a variation, it suggests that the likelihood of a win in that variation is higher than if it did not. Here, it is suggested that the likelihood has increased by a further 25%, to 75%.

After that, as shown in Figure 58 (C), the speed of change of the middle decorative pattern 8C increases and it changes again to a high-speed change state, and the contents of each pattern become difficult to see. In this way, when the speed increases during a deceleration change and it changes again to a high-speed change state, it suggests that the expectation of a win in that change is higher than if it did not happen. Here, it is suggested that the expectation has increased by another 5%, to 80%.

After that, as shown in FIG. 58 (D), the speed of change of the middle decorative pattern 8C decreases. After the deceleration change, the orientation of each pattern in the pattern array is reversed upside down while maintaining the deceleration change state. Here, each pattern is rotated 90 degrees to the right or left, so that the top and bottom are reversed. In this way, when the orientation of a pattern is reversed upside down during a change, it suggests that the expectation of a win in that change is higher than if it did not happen. Here, it is suggested that the expectation has increased by a further 20%, reaching nearly 100%.

After that, as shown in FIG. 58(E), the orientation of each of the symbols in the symbol array returns to its normal state while the center decorative pattern 8C maintains its decelerated and changing state. After that, the changing speed further decreases and the symbols temporarily stop. When the symbols temporarily stop, as shown in FIG. 58(F), the center decorative pattern 8C displays only one symbol in the symbol array, and the other symbols disappear. As a result, the left decorative pattern 8L, center decorative pattern 8C, and right decorative pattern 8R are fixed and stopped with only one symbol displayed.

In the second example of moving symbol mode change performance B, Figures 58 (G) to (I), a case where the left decorative pattern 8L and the right decorative pattern 8R do not reach the winning state but reach the losing state is explained. In Figure 58 (G), the left decorative pattern 8L and the right decorative pattern 8R, after high-speed fluctuation, temporarily stop in the normal orientation in the order of left decorative pattern 8L → right decorative pattern 8R, and only one pattern is displayed after each stop. The middle decorative pattern 8C is displayed with high-speed fluctuation. At this time, the left decorative pattern 8L and the right decorative pattern 8R are in the losing state of "8↓5", so the performance in which the state of the middle decorative pattern 8C changes is not executed.

After that, as shown in FIG. 58(H), the speed of change of the center decorative pattern 8C decreases. After that, the speed of change of the center decorative pattern 8C further decreases and the pattern temporarily stops. When the pattern temporarily stops, as shown in FIG. 58(I), the center decorative pattern 8C displays only one pattern in the pattern arrangement, and the display of the other patterns disappears. As a result, the left decorative pattern 8L, the center decorative pattern 8C, and the right decorative pattern 8R are fixed and stopped with only one pattern displayed.

In the third example of the moving pattern mode change performance B, Fig. 58 (J) to (L) will explain the case where a change pattern is selected in which the moving pattern mode change performance is not executed even though the left decorative pattern 8L and the right decorative pattern 8R are in a reach state. In Fig. 58 (J), the left decorative pattern 8L and the right decorative pattern 8R are temporarily stopped in the normal direction in the order of the left decorative pattern 8L → the right decorative pattern 8R after high-speed change, and only one pattern is displayed after each stop. The middle decorative pattern 8C is displayed changing at high speed. At this time, the left decorative pattern 8L and the right decorative pattern 8R are in a reach state of "5↓5". When the left decorative pattern 8L and the right decorative pattern 8R are temporarily stopped in a reach state, a performance in which the mode of the changing middle decorative pattern 8C changes (moving pattern mode change performance) may or may not be executed, and here, a performance in which it is not executed is shown.

As shown in FIG. 58 (K), the speed of change of the middle decorative pattern 8C decreases. After that, the speed of change of the middle decorative pattern 8C further decreases and the pattern temporarily stops. When the pattern temporarily stops, as shown in FIG. 58 (L), the middle decorative pattern 8C displays only one pattern in the pattern arrangement, and the display of the other patterns disappears. As a result, the left decorative pattern 8L, the middle decorative pattern 8C, and the right decorative pattern 8R are fixed and stopped with only one pattern displayed.

[Moving pattern change performance C]
FIG. 59 is a diagram for explaining the moving pattern mode change performance C. The moving pattern mode change performance is a performance in which the mode of the decorative pattern changes to a second mode while continuing to move in a first mode. In the moving pattern mode change performance C, first, as shown in FIG. 59 (A), the decorative patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R are displayed on the display screen 7a. Here, the reserved icon 9A and the variable icon (reserved icon) 9C are not displayed, but may be displayed.

The decorative patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R are a set of patterns including a left decorative pattern 8L, a middle decorative pattern 8C, and a right decorative pattern 8R. The variable display of the set of patterns represents the variable display of the special pattern (special pattern variation), and the stationary display of the set of patterns notifies the result of the special pattern lottery. The special pattern here may be either the first special pattern or the second special pattern. The left decorative pattern 8L, the middle decorative pattern 8C, and the right decorative pattern 8R are displayed from the top to the bottom of the display screen 7a, respectively, and during deceleration variation, they are displayed vertically side by side and move so that three or more patterns are visible at the same time on the display screen 7a. Here, the pattern arrangement of the left decorative pattern 8L, the middle decorative pattern 8C, and the right decorative pattern 8R is arranged from the top to the bottom of the display screen 7a in the order of "123456789".

In FIG. 59(A), the decorative patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R are displayed in a rapidly changing manner. Rapid change means that the contents of the patterns contained in the vertical pattern arrangements of the left decorative pattern 8L, the center decorative pattern 8C, and the right decorative pattern 8R move at a speed that makes them difficult to see. In this case, a vertical line-like image accompanying the rapid movement may be displayed.

As shown in FIG. 59(B), after FIG. 59(A), the left decorative pattern 8L changes rapidly, then the speed of change slows down and the decelerating change is displayed from top to bottom. Decelerating change here means that the contents of the patterns included in the vertical pattern arrangement of the left decorative pattern 8L move at a speed that is visible. The center decorative pattern 8C and right decorative pattern 8R maintain the high-speed change display.

After that, as shown in FIG. 59(C), the left decorative pattern 8L maintains its decelerating top-to-bottom change while the orientation of each pattern in the pattern array is reversed up-to-down. Here, each pattern is rotated 90 degrees to the right or left, reversing its up-to-down orientation. In this way, when the orientation of a pattern is reversed up-to-down during a change, this suggests that there is a higher probability of a win in that change than if that were not the case. Here, this suggests that the probability of a win increases by 10%. The middle decorative pattern 8C and right decorative pattern 8R maintain their high-speed change display.

After that, as shown in FIG. 59(D), the left decorative pattern 8L increases its fluctuation speed and enters a high-speed fluctuation state again, and the contents of each pattern become difficult to see. In this way, when the speed increases during deceleration fluctuation and enters a high-speed fluctuation state again, it suggests that the expectation of a win in that fluctuation is higher than if it did not. Here, it is suggested that the expectation has increased by another 5%, to 15%. The middle decorative pattern 8C and right decorative pattern 8R maintain the high-speed fluctuation display.

Then, as shown in FIG. 59(E), the speed of change of the left decorative pattern 8L decreases. After the decelerating change, the orientation of each pattern included in the pattern array returns to the normal state while maintaining the decelerating change state. After that, the speed of change decreases further and the patterns temporarily stop.

When the left decorative pattern 8L temporarily stops, as shown in Figure 59 (F), only one pattern (here, "7") is displayed in the pattern array, and the other patterns disappear. At the timing before and after the temporary stop of the left decorative pattern 8L, the right decorative pattern 8R slows down from a high-speed fluctuation, and is displayed in a decelerating fluctuation from top to bottom. Decelerating fluctuation here means that the contents of the patterns included in the vertical pattern array of the right decorative pattern 8R move at a speed that allows them to be seen. The middle decorative pattern 8C maintains its high-speed fluctuation display.

After that, as shown in FIG. 59(G), the right decorative pattern 8R maintains its decelerating state of changing from top to bottom while the orientation of each pattern in the pattern array is reversed. Here, the patterns are reversed by rotating around the vertical axis. When a pattern is reversed during a change like this, it suggests that the likelihood of a win in that change is higher than if it did not. Here, it suggests that the likelihood has increased by a further 10%, to 25%. The middle decorative pattern 8C maintains its high-speed change display.

Then, as shown in FIG. 59(H), the speed of change of the right decorative pattern 8R slows down. After the decelerating change, the orientation of each pattern in the pattern array returns to its normal state while maintaining the decelerating change state. After that, the speed of change slows down further and the patterns temporarily stop.

When the right decorative pattern 8R temporarily stops, as shown in Figure 59 (I), only one pattern (here, "7") is displayed in the pattern array, and the other patterns disappear. At the timing before and after the temporary stop of the right decorative pattern 8R, the speed of the middle decorative pattern 8C slows down from a high speed fluctuation, and the pattern is displayed at a decelerating rate from top to bottom. "Decelerating fluctuation" here means that the content of the patterns included in the vertical pattern array of the middle decorative pattern 8C moves at a speed that allows it to be seen.

After that, as shown in Figure 59 (J), while the central decorative pattern 8C maintains its decelerating and varying state, the orientation of each pattern in the pattern array is reversed and inverted. Here, each pattern is rotated 90 degrees to the right or left so that it is upside down, and then each pattern rotates around the up-down direction as an axis of rotation, thereby inverting it. In this way, when a pattern is upside down and inverted during a variation, it suggests that the probability of a win in that variation is higher than if it were not. Here, it is suggested that the probability of expectation has increased by a further 20%, to 45%.

Then, as shown in FIG. 59 (K), the speed of change of the middle decorative pattern 8C decreases. After the deceleration occurs, the orientation of each pattern included in the pattern array returns to the normal state while maintaining the deceleration state. After that, the speed of change decreases further and the patterns temporarily stop.

When the center decorative pattern 8C is temporarily stopped, as shown in FIG. 59(L), only one pattern (here, "7") is displayed in the pattern arrangement, and the other patterns disappear. As a result, the left decorative pattern 8L, the center decorative pattern 8C, and the right decorative pattern 8R are fixed and stopped in a winning state of "777", where only one pattern is displayed.

[Example of effect]
Below are examples of the effects of the moving pattern change presentation.
[Effect 1]
In the gaming machine 1 of the above embodiment, as shown in Fig. 57(A), a first variation effect in which the decorative symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R move downward in a first manner (normal orientation), and after the first variation effect, as shown in Fig. 57(B), a second variation effect in which the decorative symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R continue to move downward and change to a second manner (upside down), can be executed. With this configuration, a novel performance that has never been seen before can be visually entertaining to the player, and interest can be increased. The same applies to Figs. 58 and 59.
[Effect 2]
In the gaming machine 1 of the above embodiment, as shown in Fig. 57 (E), after the second variation effect, the decorative symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R continue to move downward while returning to the first state (normal orientation), and a variation stop effect can be executed in which the decorative symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R stop. With this configuration, a novel effect that has never been seen before can be visually entertaining to the player, and the interest can be increased.
[Effect 3]
In the gaming machine 1 of the above embodiment, as shown in Fig. 57(B)(C), in the second variation presentation, the decorative symbols change to the second mode (upside down), and then the moving speed of the decorative symbols changes. With this configuration, a novel presentation that has never been seen before can visually entertain the player, and can increase the interest. The same is true for Fig. 58 and Fig. 59.
[Effect 4]
In the gaming machine 1 of the above embodiment, the second variable presentation is such that, as shown in Figures 58(A) to (F), one of the set of decorative symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R that can inform whether or not a win has been won (left decorative symbol 8L) moves in a first manner (normal orientation) and then stops in the first manner, while the other decorative symbol (middle decorative symbol 8C) of the set of decorative symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R continues to move and changes to a second manner (upside down). With this configuration, a novel presentation that has never been seen before can visually entertain the player, and can increase the player's interest.
[Effect 5]
In the gaming machine 1 of the above embodiment, as shown in Fig. 58, the second variable presentation is executed when some of the decorative symbols (left and right decorative symbols) stop in a reach state, and is not executed when some of the decorative symbols stop in a state other than reach. With this configuration, a novel presentation that has never been seen before can visually entertain the player, and can increase the interest.
[Effect 6]
In the gaming machine 1 of the above embodiment, as shown in Figures 57 to 59, in the second presentation, the decorative symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R that have changed to the second aspect (upside down) may further change to the third aspect (reverse), and the probability of winning when they change to the third aspect is higher than the probability of winning when they do not change to the third aspect. With this configuration, a novel presentation that has never been seen before can be visually entertaining to the player, and can increase the interest.

[Modification]
Below, modified examples of the moving pattern change presentation are shown.
[Modification 1]
In the moving pattern mode change performances A to C, the high-speed changing display is a state in which the decorative patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R move at a speed at which the contents of the patterns are difficult to see. However, the high-speed changing display does not have to be a speed at which the contents of the patterns are difficult to see, and may be a speed at which the contents of the patterns are visible, as long as the changing speed is faster than the deceleration change.

[Modification 2]
In the moving pattern change performances A to C, examples of the change in the form of the decorative patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R are shown in which the patterns are turned upside down and inverted. However, the changes in the form of the decorative patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R are not limited to these. For example, the color, size, or shape of the decorative patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R may change, or a specific image may be added.

[Example of embodiment]
In the gaming machine of this embodiment, the following aspects can be realized.
◇[Aspect A3-1]
A gaming machine having a display means capable of displaying a plurality of types of images,
One of the plurality of types of images is a decorative pattern;
A first variation effect in which the decorative pattern moves in a predetermined direction in a first manner;
After the first variation performance, a second variation performance in which the decorative pattern continues to move in the predetermined direction and changes to a second mode;
A gaming machine characterized by:
◇[Aspect A3-2]
The gaming machine according to Aspect A3-1,
After the second variation performance, the decorative pattern continues to move in the predetermined direction while the state returns to the first state, and a variation stop performance in which the decorative pattern stops can be executed.
A gaming machine characterized by:
◇[Aspect A3-3]
A gaming machine according to Aspect A3-1 or A3-2,
In the second variation performance, after the decorative pattern changes to the second mode, the moving speed of the decorative pattern changes.
A gaming machine characterized by:
◇[Aspect A3-4]
A gaming machine according to any one of Aspects A3-1 to A3-3,
In the second variation performance, a part of the set of decorative patterns capable of informing winning or losing moves in the first mode and then stops in the first mode, and the other decorative patterns of the set of decorative patterns continue to move and change to a second mode.
A gaming machine characterized by:
◇[Aspect A3-5]
The gaming machine according to Aspect A3-4,
The second variation performance is executed when the part of the decorative patterns stops in a reach state, and is not executed when the part of the decorative patterns stops in a state other than the reach state.
A gaming machine characterized by:
◇[Aspect A3-6]
A gaming machine according to any one of Aspects A3-1 to A3-5,
In the second performance, the decorative pattern that has changed to the second aspect may further change to a third aspect, and the expectation of a win when the decorative pattern changes to the third aspect is higher than the expectation of a win when the decorative pattern does not change to the third aspect.
A gaming machine characterized by:

The following describes the losing mode symbol movement effects A to C using Figures 60 to 62. These losing mode symbol movement effects are executed during the decorative symbol variation effect, etc. In other words, the image control microcomputer 101 analyzes the command received from the sub-control board 90, and if it contains an instruction to execute the losing mode symbol movement effect, it reads out the corresponding image data from the ROM 103 and displays the image on the display screen 7a of the image display device 7 and the sub-display screen 64 (right sub-display screen 64R, left sub-display screen 64L, and upper sub-display screen 64U).

[Loss mode pattern movement performance A]
FIG. 60 is a diagram for explaining the losing mode pattern movement performance A. The losing mode pattern movement performance is a performance in which a set of decorative patterns that notify the special drawing result (win or lose) move together in a losing mode. First, as shown in FIG. 60(A), the first decorative patterns 8L1, 8C1, and 8R1 are displayed on the display screen 7a. Here, the reserved icon 9A and the variable icon (reserved icon) 9C are not displayed, but may be displayed.

The first decorative patterns 8L1, 8C1, and 8R1 are a set of patterns including a left decorative pattern 8L1, a middle decorative pattern 8C1, and a right decorative pattern 8R1, and the variable display of the set of patterns represents the variable display of the special pattern (special pattern change), and the stationary display of the set of patterns notifies the result of the special pattern lottery. The special pattern here may be either the first special pattern or the second special pattern. The pattern arrangement of the left decorative pattern 8L1, the middle decorative pattern 8C1, and the right decorative pattern 8R1 is arranged in the order of "987654321" from top to bottom on the display screen 7a. In FIG. 60(A), the first decorative patterns 8L1, 8C1, and 8R1 are each displayed in a variable manner in response to the current special pattern change (the change in question).

As shown in FIG. 60(B), the left decorative pattern 8L1 of the first decorative patterns 8L1, 8C1, and 8R1 temporarily stops at "3", and then, as shown in FIG. 60(C), the right decorative pattern 8R1 temporarily stops at "2". After that, as shown in FIG. 60(D), the center decorative pattern 8C1 temporarily stops at "7". As a result, the left decorative pattern 8L1, center decorative pattern 8C1, and right decorative pattern 8R1 are lined up side by side in a losing pattern of "372".

After that, as shown in Figures 60(E)-(K), a pattern movement effect is executed in which the first decorative patterns 8L1, 8C1, and 8R1, which are lined up horizontally in a losing mode of "372," move together inside the display screen 7a. Here, "a set of decorative patterns moving together in a losing mode" means that the left decorative pattern 8L1, the center decorative pattern 8C1, and the right decorative pattern 8R1 move while maintaining their relative positional relationship with each other while lined up horizontally in a losing mode.

First, as shown in FIG. 60(E)(F), the first decorative symbols 8L1, 8C1, and 8R1 arranged side by side in a losing mode make a first round trip. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 60(E), the first decorative symbols 8L1, 8C1, and 8R1 move toward the upper right corner of the display screen 7a while being reduced in size. After that, as shown in FIG. 60(F), the first decorative symbols 8L1, 8C1, and 8R1 arranged side by side in a losing mode that have moved to the upper right corner of the display screen 7a move together in the lower left direction of the display screen 7a. Here, the first decorative symbols 8L1, 8C1, and 8R1 are enlarged and return to their original size while moving toward the center of the display screen 7a. The first decorative symbols 8L1, 8C1, and 8R1 that arrive at the center of the display screen 7a temporarily stop moving.

After that, as shown in FIG. 60(G)(H), the first decorative symbols 8L1, 8C1, and 8R1, which are lined up horizontally in a losing mode, perform a second round trip. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 60(G), the first decorative symbols 8L1, 8C1, and 8R1 move toward the lower left corner of the display screen 7a while being reduced in size. Then, as shown in FIG. 60(H), the first decorative symbols 8L1, 8C1, and 8R1, which are lined up horizontally in a losing mode and have moved to the lower left corner of the display screen 7a, move together toward the upper right direction of the display screen 7a. Here, the first decorative symbols 8L1, 8C1, and 8R1 are enlarged and return to their original size while moving toward the center of the display screen 7a. The first decorative symbols 8L1, 8C1, and 8R1 that arrive at the center of the display screen 7a temporarily stop moving.

After that, as shown in FIG. 60(I), the first decorative symbols 8L1, 8C1, and 8R1 move in the upper right direction toward the upper right corner of the display screen 7a while shrinking. As the first decorative symbols 8L1, 8C1, and 8R1 move in the upper right direction, the second decorative symbols 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2 frame in from the lower left corner of the display screen 7a and move in the upper right direction in the same manner as the first decorative symbols 8L1, 8C1, and 8R1. The second decorative symbols 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2 are the left decorative symbol 8L2, the center decorative symbol 8C2, and the right decorative symbol 8R2, all of which are "5" winning patterns, and move together in a horizontal line.

After that, as shown in FIG. 60(J)(K), inside the display screen 7a, the first decorative symbols 8L1, 8C1, 8R1 and the second decorative symbols 8L2, 8C2, 8R2 move, and then both stop at the same time in close proximity to each other. This suggests that the battle between the first decorative symbols 8L1, 8C1, 8R1 and the second decorative symbols 8L2, 8C2, 8R2 is about to begin. Then, while the two symbols are still, an explosion image is displayed as a background image. After the explosion image is displayed, the first decorative symbols 8L1, 8C1, 8R1 disappear, and only the second decorative symbols 8L2, 8C2, 8R2 are displayed. After that, as shown in FIG. 60(K), the second decorative symbols 8L2, 8C2, 8R2 are enlarged and displayed in the center of the display screen 7a, and then the fixed stop is performed. This notifies the player that they have won "555".

[Loss mode pattern movement performance B]
FIG. 61 is a diagram for explaining the losing mode pattern movement performance B. The losing mode pattern movement performance is a performance in which a set of decorative patterns that notify the special drawing result (win or lose) move together in a losing mode. First, as shown in FIG. 61 (A), the first decorative patterns 8L1, 8C1, and 8R1 and the second decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2 are displayed on the display screen 7a. Here, the reserved icon 9A and the variable icon (reserved icon) 9C are not displayed, but may be displayed.

The first decorative pattern 8L1, 8C1, 8R1 is a set of patterns including the left decorative pattern 8L1, the middle decorative pattern 8C1, and the right decorative pattern 8R1 displayed relatively higher on the display screen 7a, and the variable display of the set of patterns represents the variable display of the special pattern (special pattern variation), and the stationary display of the set of patterns notifies the result of the special pattern lottery. The special pattern here may be either the first special pattern or the second special pattern. The pattern arrangement of the left decorative pattern 8L1, the middle decorative pattern 8C1, and the right decorative pattern 8R1 is arranged in the order of "987654321" from top to bottom on the display screen 7a. The second decorative pattern 8L2, 8C2, 8R2 is a set of patterns including a left decorative pattern 8L2, a middle decorative pattern 8C2, and a right decorative pattern 8R2 that are displayed relatively lower on the display screen 7a. The variable display of the set of patterns represents the variable display of the special pattern (special pattern variation), and the stationary display of the set of patterns notifies the result of the special pattern lottery. The pattern arrangement of the left decorative pattern 8L2, the middle decorative pattern 8C2, and the right decorative pattern 8R2 is arranged in the order of "987654321" from top to bottom on the display screen 7a.

The variable display of the first and second decorative symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R are independent of each other, but represent the variable display of one and the same special symbol (special symbol variation), and when the lottery result of the corresponding special symbol is a miss, the first and second decorative symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R are all fixed and stopped in a miss mode. On the other hand, when the lottery result of the corresponding special symbol is a win, at least one of the first and second decorative symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R is fixed and stopped in a win mode. Here, the timing of the start of the variation of the first and second decorative symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R, and the timing of the stop of the variation of the left decorative symbol, right decorative symbol, and center decorative symbol are all simultaneous, but they may be different for each of the first and second decorative symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R. In FIG. 61(A), the first and second decorative symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R are displayed to vary in response to the current special symbol variation (the variation in question).

After that, the first and second decorative patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R are temporarily stopped in the order of left decorative pattern → right decorative pattern → center decorative pattern, and as shown in FIG. 61 (B), the first and second decorative patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R are temporarily stopped with their left decorative pattern, right decorative pattern, and center decorative pattern. Here, the left decorative pattern 8L1 of the first decorative patterns 8L1, 8C1, and 8R1 is temporarily stopped at "3", and then the right decorative pattern 8R1 is temporarily stopped at "2". Then, the center decorative pattern 8C1 is temporarily stopped at "3". As a result, the left decorative pattern 8L1, the center decorative pattern 8C1, and the right decorative pattern 8R1 are lined up side by side in the losing form of "332". Of the second decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2, the left decorative pattern 8L2 temporarily stops at "7", then the right decorative pattern 8R2 temporarily stops at "7". After that, the center decorative pattern 8C2 temporarily stops at "6". As a result, the left decorative pattern 8L2, the center decorative pattern 8C2, and the right decorative pattern 8R2 are lined up side by side in a losing pattern of "767".

After that, as shown in Figures 61(C)-(K), the first decorative patterns 8L1, 8C1, and 8R1 arranged horizontally in a losing mode of "332", and the second decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2 arranged horizontally in a losing mode of "767", respectively, are subjected to a pattern movement effect in which the left, middle, and right decorative patterns move together inside the display screen 7a. Here, "a set of decorative patterns moving together in a losing mode" means that the left decorative pattern 8L, the middle decorative pattern 8C, and the right decorative pattern 8R of the losing decorative patterns move together in a losing mode while maintaining their relative positional relationship with each other.

First, as shown in Fig. 61(C)-(E), the first decorative pattern 8L1, 8C1, 8R1 and the second decorative pattern 8L2, 8C2, 8R2, which are arranged horizontally in a losing state, perform a first scroll movement. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 61(C), the first decorative pattern 8L1, 8C1, 8R1 and the second decorative pattern 8L2, 8C2, 8R2 move toward the upper right corner of the display screen 7a while being reduced in a state where they are arranged parallel to each other vertically, and then frame out from the upper right corner of the display screen 7a as it is. After that, as shown in Fig. 61(D), the first decorative pattern 8L1, 8C1, 8R1 and the second decorative pattern 8L2, 8C2, 8R2 frame in from the lower left corner of the display screen 7a in the same state as when they framed out, and move in the same direction (upper right direction) as when they framed out. The first decorative pattern 8L1, 8C1, 8R1 and the second decorative pattern 8L2, 8C2, 8R2 are enlarged and return to their original size while moving toward the center of the display screen 7a. After that, as shown in FIG. 61(E), the first decorative pattern 8L1, 8C1, 8R1 and the second decorative pattern 8L2, 8C2, 8R2 that have arrived at the center of the display screen 7a temporarily stop moving.

After that, as shown in Fig. 61(F)-(H), the first decorative pattern 8L1, 8C1, 8R1 and the second decorative pattern 8L2, 8C2, 8R2, which are arranged horizontally in a losing mode, perform a second scroll movement. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 61(F), the first decorative pattern 8L1, 8C1, 8R1 and the second decorative pattern 8L2, 8C2, 8R2 move toward the upper right corner of the display screen 7a while being reduced in a state where they are arranged parallel to each other vertically, and then frame out from the upper right corner of the display screen 7a as it is. After that, as shown in Fig. 61(G), the first decorative pattern 8L1, 8C1, 8R1 and the second decorative pattern 8L2, 8C2, 8R2 frame in from the lower left corner of the display screen 7a, and move in the same direction (upper right direction) as when they frame out. Here, the first decorative pattern 8L1, 8C1, and 8R1 are the same pattern "332" as when they were framed out, but the second decorative pattern 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2 are the pattern "222" different from the pattern "767" when they were framed out. That is, the left decorative pattern 8L2, the middle decorative pattern 8C2, and the right decorative pattern 8R2 are changed to a state where they are lined up horizontally in the winning form of "222" and framed in. The first decorative pattern 8L1, 8C1, and 8R1 and the second decorative pattern 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2 are enlarged and move toward the center of the display screen 7a while returning to their original size. After that, as shown in FIG. 61(H), the first decorative pattern 8L1, 8C1, and 8R1 and the second decorative pattern 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2 that have arrived at the center of the display screen 7a temporarily stop moving.

After that, as shown in Fig. 61 (I) to (K), the first decorative pattern 8L1, 8C1, 8R1 in a state where it is lined up horizontally in a losing state, and the second decorative pattern 8L2, 8C2, 8R2 in a state where it is lined up horizontally in a losing state, perform a third scroll movement, and an effect is executed. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 61 (I), the first decorative pattern 8L1, 8C1, 8R1 and the second decorative pattern 8L2, 8C2, 8R2 move toward the upper right corner of the display screen 7a while being reduced in a state where they are lined up in parallel vertically, and then frame out from the upper right corner of the display screen 7a as it is. After that, as shown in Fig. 61 (J), the first decorative pattern 8L1, 8C1, 8R1 and the second decorative pattern 8L2, 8C2, 8R2 frame in from the lower left corner of the display screen 7a, and move in the same direction (upper right direction) as when they frame out. Here, the first decorative pattern 8L1, 8C1, and 8R1 are the same pattern "332" as when they were framed out, but the second decorative pattern 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2 are the pattern "777" different from the pattern "222" when they were framed out. That is, the left decorative pattern 8L2, the middle decorative pattern 8C2, and the right decorative pattern 8R2 are changed to a state where they are lined up horizontally in a "777" winning state and framed in. The first decorative pattern 8L1, 8C1, and 8R1 and the second decorative pattern 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2 are enlarged and move toward the center of the display screen 7a while returning to their original size. After that, as shown in FIG. 61(K), the first decorative pattern 8L1, 8C1, and 8R1 and the second decorative pattern 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2 that have arrived at the center of the display screen 7a stop at the same time.

After that, as shown in FIG. 61(L), the first decorative symbols 8L1, 8C1, and 8R1 shrink and move toward the top right corner of the display screen 7a, and then frame out of the top right corner of the display screen 7a. Then, the second decorative symbols 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2 are fixed and stopped. This indicates a "777" win.

[Loss mode pattern movement performance C]
FIG. 62 is a diagram for explaining the losing mode pattern movement performance C. The losing mode pattern movement performance is a performance in which a set of decorative patterns that notify the special drawing result (win or lose) move together in a losing mode. First, as shown in FIG. 62 (A), decorative patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R are displayed on the display screen 7a. Here, the reserved icon 9A and the variable icon (reserved icon) 9C are not displayed, but may be displayed.

The decorative patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R are a set of patterns including a left decorative pattern 8L, a middle decorative pattern 8C, and a right decorative pattern 8R, and the variable display of the set of patterns represents the variable display of the special pattern (special pattern variation), and the stationary display of the set of patterns notifies the result of the special pattern lottery. The special pattern here may be either the first special pattern or the second special pattern. The left decorative pattern 8L, the middle decorative pattern 8C, and the right decorative pattern 8R are displayed from the top to the bottom of the display screen 7a, respectively, and during deceleration variation, they are displayed vertically side by side so that two to three patterns can be seen at the same time on the display screen 7a. Here, the pattern arrangement of the left decorative pattern 8L, the middle decorative pattern 8C, and the right decorative pattern 8R is arranged in the order of "987654321" from the top to the bottom of the display screen 7a. In FIG. 62(A), the decorative patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R are displayed changing at high speed in response to the current special pattern change (the change in question). A high-speed change means that the contents of the patterns included in the vertical pattern arrangement of the left decorative pattern 8L, the center decorative pattern 8C, and the right decorative pattern 8R move at a speed that makes it difficult to see. In this case, a vertical line image accompanying the high-speed movement may be displayed.

As shown in FIG. 62(B), the decorative patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R change at high speed, and then the change speed slows down, and the left decorative pattern 8L, the middle decorative pattern 8C, and the right decorative pattern 8R are each displayed with a decelerating change from top to bottom. Decelerating change here means that the left decorative pattern 8L, the middle decorative pattern 8C, and the right decorative pattern 8R move at a speed that allows the contents of the patterns contained in the vertical pattern arrangements of each of them to be visually recognized. The left decorative pattern 8L, the middle decorative pattern 8C, and the right decorative pattern 8R each change with a decelerating change from top to bottom with each pattern contained in each pattern arrangement lined up in a horizontal row.

As shown in FIG. 62(B), the first row of decorative symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R are displayed on the display screen 7a in a losing pattern of "372" as they move at a reduced speed from top to bottom, framing out from the bottom edge of the display screen 7a. The second row of decorative symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R are then displayed in a losing pattern of "483" as they move in from the top edge of the display screen 7a and decelerate downward.

Then, as shown in Fig. 62(C), the third row of decorative symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R are lined up in a losing pattern of "594", frame in from the top of the display screen 7a, decelerate downward, and are displayed framing out from the bottom of the display screen 7a. The fourth row of decorative symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R, which follows after that, are lined up in a losing pattern of "615", frame in from the top of the display screen 7a, and are displayed framing out from the bottom of the display screen 7a.

After that, as shown in Figure 62 (D), the fourth decorative symbol row "615" frames out from the bottom edge of the display screen 7a. The following fifth decorative symbol row 8L, 8C, and 8R are lined up in a winning pattern of "777" and are displayed as they frame in from the top edge of the display screen 7a and move downward at a reduced speed.

After that, as shown in Figure 62 (E), the fifth decorative symbol "777" frames out from the bottom edge of the display screen 7a. The following sixth decorative symbol 8L, 8C, and 8R are lined up in a losing pattern of "826" and are displayed as they frame in from the top edge of the display screen 7a and move downwards at a reduced speed.

After that, as shown in FIG. 62(F), an effect is executed in which the interval between the rows of decorative patterns becomes narrower. The sixth row of decorative patterns, "826", frames out from the bottom of the display screen 7a. The seventh row of decorative patterns, 8L, 8C, and 8R, which follow after that, are lined up in a winning mode of "666", frame in from the top of the display screen 7a, and are displayed moving at a reduced speed downward. The time between the sixth row of decorative patterns, "826", frame in, and the seventh row of decorative patterns, "666", becomes shorter, and the interval between the sixth row of decorative patterns, "826", and the seventh row of decorative patterns, "666", becomes narrower. Furthermore, the eighth row of decorative patterns, 8L, 8C, and 8R, which follow after that, are lined up in a losing mode of "832", frame in from the top of the display screen 7a, and are displayed moving at a reduced speed downward. The time between when the "666" in the seventh decorative pattern column frames in and when the "832" in the eighth decorative pattern column frames in is shortened, and the distance between the "666" in the seventh decorative pattern column and the "832" in the eighth decorative pattern column is narrowed. This makes it possible to simultaneously view the decorative patterns of the three columns 8L, 8C, and 8R on the display screen 7a.

After that, as shown in FIG. 62(G), the effect of narrowing the interval between the rows of decorative patterns continues. The seventh row of decorative patterns, "666", frames out from the bottom edge of the display screen 7a. The eighth row of decorative patterns, "832", which follows after that, is displayed moving downward at a decelerating rate. Furthermore, the ninth row of decorative patterns, 8L, 8C, and 8R, which follows after that, are lined up in a "222" winning manner and frame in from the top edge of the display screen 7a and are displayed moving downward at a decelerating rate. The time between when the eighth row of decorative patterns, "832", frames in and when the ninth row of decorative patterns, "222", frames in becomes shorter, and the interval between the eighth row of decorative patterns, "832", and the ninth row of decorative patterns, "222", becomes narrower. This maintains a state in which the three rows of decorative patterns, 8L, 8C, and 8R, can be simultaneously viewed on the display screen 7a.

After that, as shown in FIG. 62(H), a change direction effect is executed in which the direction of change of the decorative symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R is changed. Here, the direction of change of the decorative symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R is reversed. Specifically, the decorative symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R are displayed with a decelerating change from bottom to top. As a result, the "222" in the ninth column of decorative symbols frames out from the top edge of the display screen 7a. Furthermore, the "832" in the eighth column of decorative symbols moves upward and then temporarily stops at the top of the display screen 7a. Furthermore, the "666" in the seventh column of decorative symbols also moves upward and then temporarily stops at the center of the display screen 7a. The "826" in the sixth column of decorative symbols also moves upward and then temporarily stops at the bottom of the display screen 7a.

After that, as shown in Fig. 62(I)-(K), the eighth column of the decorative pattern in the losing mode, "832", the seventh column of the decorative pattern in the winning mode, and the sixth column of the decorative pattern in the losing mode, "826", perform a horizontal scroll movement performance. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 62(I), the eighth column of the decorative pattern, "832", the seventh column of the decorative pattern, and the sixth column of the decorative pattern, "666", move together to the left and frame out from the left end of the display screen 7a. After that, as shown in Fig. 62(J), the eighth column, the seventh column, and the sixth column of the decorative pattern frame in together from the right end of the display screen 7a and move in the same direction (leftward) as when they framed out. Here, the eighth column of the decorative pattern is the same pattern "832" as when it framed out, and the sixth column of the decorative pattern is also the same pattern "826" as when it framed out. Meanwhile, the seventh decorative symbol is a "777" symbol, which is different from the "666" symbol when it is framed out. After that, as shown in FIG. 62(K), the eighth decorative symbol, "832", the seventh decorative symbol, "777", and the sixth decorative symbol, "826", which have arrived at the center of the display screen 7a, stop moving and come to a temporary stop.

After that, as shown in FIG. 62(L), the "832" in the eighth decorative symbol column moves upward and frames out from the top edge of the display screen 7a. The "826" in the sixth decorative symbol column moves downward and frames out from the bottom edge of the display screen 7a. After that, the "777" in the seventh decorative symbol column stops in the center of the display screen 7a, announcing a win.

[Example of effect]
An example of the effect of the losing pattern movement presentation is shown below.
[Effect 1]
In the gaming machine 1 of the above embodiment, as shown in Fig. 60, a pattern movement effect can be executed in which a set of first decorative patterns 8L1, 8C1, and 8R1 move together in a losing state. With this configuration, a novel effect that has never been seen before can be visually entertaining to the player, and can increase the interest. The same is true for Figs. 61 and 62.
[Effect 2]
In the gaming machine 1 of the above embodiment, as shown in Fig. 60, in the symbol movement presentation, a presentation in which a set of first decorative symbols 8L1, 8C1, and 8R1 move together in a losing state is executed multiple times. With this configuration, a novel presentation that has never been seen before can visually entertain the player, and can increase the interest. The same is true for Figs. 61 and 62.
[Effect 3]
In the gaming machine 1 of the above embodiment, as shown in Fig. 60, in the pattern movement performance, a set of first decorative patterns 8L1, 8C1, 8R1 move together in a losing state, and then a set of second decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, 8R2 move together in a winning state. According to this configuration, a novel performance that has never been seen before can visually entertain the player, and can increase the interest. The same is true for Figs. 61 and 62.
[Effect 4]
In the gaming machine 1 of the above embodiment, as shown in Fig. 60, in the pattern movement performance, both the first decorative patterns 8L1, 8C1, 8R1 that move together in a losing state and the second decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, 8R2 that move together in a winning state are displayed on the display screen 7a, and after the pattern movement performance, the first decorative patterns 8L1, 8C1, 8R1 that move together in a losing state and the second decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, 8R2 that move together in a winning state are displayed on the display screen 7a in a stopped state. According to this configuration, the player can be visually entertained by the unprecedented novel performance, and the interest can be improved. The same is true for Figs. 61 and 62.
[Effect 5]
In the gaming machine 1 of the above embodiment, as shown in Fig. 60, in the pattern movement stop performance, the first decorative patterns 8L1, 8C1, 8R1 that move together in a losing state, and the second decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, 8R2 that move together in a winning state, are both stopped moving at the same time. According to this configuration, the player can be visually entertained by the unprecedented novel performance, and the interest can be improved. The same is true for Figs. 61 and 62.
[Effect 6]
In the gaming machine 1 of the above embodiment, as shown in Fig. 60, in the pattern movement presentation, the movement direction of the decorative patterns that move together in a losing state is the same as the movement direction of the decorative patterns that move together in a winning state. With this configuration, the player can be visually entertained by the unprecedented novel presentation, and the interest can be increased. The same is true for Figs. 61 and 62.

[Modification]
Below, modified examples of the losing pattern movement presentation are shown.
[Modification 1]
The losing pattern movement effects A to C may be combined as appropriate.

[Example of embodiment]
In the gaming machine of this embodiment, the following aspects can be realized.
◇[Aspect A4-1]
A gaming machine having a display means capable of displaying a plurality of types of images,
One of the plurality of types of images is a set of decorative patterns for informing the winner,
A pattern movement effect can be executed in which the set of decorative patterns move together in a losing state.
A gaming machine characterized by:
◇[Aspect A4-2]
The gaming machine according to A4-1,
In the pattern movement performance, a performance in which the set of decorative patterns move together in a losing state is executed multiple times.
A gaming machine characterized by:
◇[Aspect A4-3]
A gaming machine according to aspect A4-1 or A4-2,
In the pattern movement performance, after a performance in which the set of decorative patterns move together in a losing state, a performance in which the set of decorative patterns move together in a winning state is executed.
A gaming machine characterized by:
◇[Aspect A4-4]
The gaming machine according to aspect A4-3,
In the pattern movement performance, both of the decorative patterns that move together in a losing state and the decorative patterns that move together in a winning state are displayed on the display means,
After the symbol movement performance, a symbol movement stop performance is executed in a state where both the decorative symbols that move together in a losing state and the decorative symbols that move together in a winning state are stopped moving, the decorative symbols being displayed on the display means.
A gaming machine characterized by:
◇[Aspect A4-5]
The gaming machine according to aspect A4-4,
In the pattern movement stop performance, both the decorative patterns that move together in a losing state and the decorative patterns that move together in a winning state are stopped moving at the same time.
A gaming machine characterized by:
◇[Aspect A4-6]
A gaming machine according to any one of Aspects A4-3 to A4-5,
In the pattern movement performance, the movement direction of the decorative patterns that move together in a losing state and the movement direction of the decorative patterns that move together in a winning state are the same direction.
A gaming machine characterized by:

The symbol and number difference change effects A to C are explained below using Figures 63 to 65. This symbol and number difference change effect is executed during the decorative symbol variation effect, etc. In other words, the image control microcomputer 101 analyzes the command received from the sub-control board 90, and if it contains an instruction to execute the symbol and number difference change effect, it reads out the corresponding image data from the ROM 103 and displays the image on the display screen 7a of the image display device 7 and the sub-display screen 64 (right sub-display screen 64R, left sub-display screen 64L, and upper sub-display screen 64U).

[Pattern Number Difference Change Presentation A]
FIG. 63 is a diagram for explaining the pattern number difference change performance A. The pattern number difference change performance is a performance in which the first decorative pattern and the second decorative pattern of a set of decorative patterns that notify the special drawing result (win or lose) move together in a state where the difference between the numbers represented by each pattern is a predetermined value, and then move together in a state where the difference between the numbers is a value shifted by one from the predetermined value. First, as shown in FIG. 63(A), decorative patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R are displayed on the display screen 7a. Here, the reserved icon 9A and the variable icon (reserved icon) 9C are not displayed, but may be displayed.

The decorative patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R are a set of patterns including a left decorative pattern 8L, a middle decorative pattern 8C, and a right decorative pattern 8R. The variable display of the set of patterns represents the variable display of the special pattern (special pattern variation), and the stationary display of the set of patterns notifies the result of the special pattern lottery. The special pattern here may be either the first special pattern or the second special pattern. The left decorative pattern 8L, the middle decorative pattern 8C, and the right decorative pattern 8R are displayed from the top to the bottom of the display screen 7a, respectively, and are displayed vertically side by side and move so that two or more patterns can be seen at the same time on the display screen 7a during deceleration variation. Here, the pattern arrangement of the left decorative pattern 8L, the middle decorative pattern 8C, and the right decorative pattern 8R is arranged from the top to the bottom of the display screen 7a in the order of "987654321".

In FIG. 63(A), the decorative patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R change at high speed, then the change speed slows down, and the left decorative pattern 8L, the middle decorative pattern 8C, and the right decorative pattern 8R are displayed with a decelerating change from top to bottom. Here, decelerating change means that the contents of the patterns included in the vertical pattern arrangement of the left decorative pattern 8L, the middle decorative pattern 8C, and the right decorative pattern 8R move at a speed at which they are visible. On the other hand, high-speed change means that the contents of the patterns included in the vertical pattern arrangement of the left decorative pattern 8L, the middle decorative pattern 8C, and the right decorative pattern 8R move at a speed at which they are difficult to see. In this case, a vertical line-shaped image accompanying the high-speed movement may be displayed.

The left decorative pattern 8L, the middle decorative pattern 8C, and the right decorative pattern 8R all decelerate and move downwards with each pattern in a horizontal row. At this time, an effect is executed in which the difference between the numbers represented by the right decorative pattern 8R and the middle decorative pattern 8C, which are in a horizontal row, becomes a predetermined value (here, "2"). The predetermined value can be set to any integer.

The first row of decorative symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R are displayed on the display screen 7a in a losing format of "424," moving at a reduced speed from top to bottom, and then frame out from the bottom edge of the display screen 7a. The difference between the numbers ("4" and "2") represented by the right decorative symbol 8R and the center decorative symbol 8C in the first row of decorative symbols is "2" (=predetermined value). The second row of decorative symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R are then displayed in a losing format of "535," moving at a reduced speed from top to bottom, and then frame in from the top edge of the display screen 7a. The difference between the numbers ("5" and "3") represented by the right decorative symbol 8R and the center decorative symbol 8C in the second row of decorative symbols is "2" (=predetermined value).

After that, as shown in FIG. 63(B), the third row of decorative patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R following the second row of decorative patterns "535" are lined up in a "636" miss mode, framed in from the top edge of the display screen 7a, and displayed moving at a reduced speed downwards. The difference between the numbers ("6" and "3") represented by the right decorative pattern 8R and the center decorative pattern 8C in the third row of decorative patterns is "3". In other words, the value is shifted by 1 from the specified value. Here, the center decorative pattern 8C in the third row of decorative patterns is displayed small. This suggests that the original pattern arrangement of the center decorative pattern 8C, "987654321", would result in "4", but a different value of "3" has been placed.

After that, as shown in FIG. 63(C), the fourth column of decorative patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R following the third column of decorative patterns "636" are lined up in a losing pattern of "747", framed in from the top edge of the display screen 7a, and displayed moving at a reduced speed downwards. The difference between the numbers represented by the right decorative pattern 8R and the center decorative pattern 8C in the fourth column of decorative patterns ("7" and "4") is "3". In other words, the value is shifted by 1 from the predetermined value.

After that, as shown in FIG. 63(D), the fifth column of decorative patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R following the fourth column of decorative patterns "747" are lined up in a losing pattern of "848", framed in from the top edge of the display screen 7a, and displayed moving at a reduced speed downwards. The difference between the numbers ("8" and "4") represented by the right decorative pattern 8R and the middle decorative pattern 8C in the fifth column of decorative patterns is "4". In other words, the value is shifted by 2 from the predetermined value. Here, the middle decorative pattern 8C in the fifth column of decorative patterns is displayed small. This suggests that the original pattern arrangement of the middle decorative pattern 8C, "987654321", would result in "5", but a different value of "4" has been placed.

After that, as shown in FIG. 63(E), the sixth column of decorative patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R following the fifth column of decorative patterns "848" are lined up in a losing pattern of "959", framed in from the top edge of the display screen 7a, and displayed moving at a reduced speed downwards. The difference between the numbers ("9" and "5") represented by the right decorative pattern 8R and the center decorative pattern 8C in the sixth column of decorative patterns is "4". In other words, the value is shifted by 2 from the predetermined value.

After that, as shown in FIG. 63(F), the seventh column of decorative patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R following the sixth column of decorative patterns "959" are displayed in a line-up of "151" misses, framed in from the top edge of the display screen 7a, and decelerated downward. The difference between the numbers ("1" and "5") represented by the right decorative pattern 8R and the middle decorative pattern 8C in the seventh column of decorative patterns is "4". In other words, the value is shifted by 2 from the predetermined value. Here, the middle decorative pattern 8C in the seventh column of decorative patterns is displayed small. This suggests that the middle decorative pattern 8C would be "6" if the original pattern arrangement was "987654321", but a different value of "5" has been placed.

After that, as shown in FIG. 63(G), the eighth column of decorative symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R following the seventh column of decorative symbols "151" are lined up in a losing pattern of "262", framed in from the top edge of the display screen 7a, and displayed moving at a reduced speed downwards. The difference between the numbers ("2" and "6") represented by the right decorative symbol 8R and the center decorative symbol 8C in the eighth column of decorative symbols is "4". In other words, the value is shifted by 2 from the predetermined value.

After that, as shown in FIG. 63(H), the ninth column of decorative patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R following the eighth column of decorative patterns "262" are lined up in a losing pattern of "313", framed in from the top edge of the display screen 7a, and displayed moving at a reduced speed downwards. The difference between the numbers ("3" and "1") represented by the right decorative pattern 8R and the center decorative pattern 8C in the ninth column of decorative patterns becomes "2". In other words, the difference returns to a predetermined value. Here, the center decorative pattern 8C in the ninth column of decorative patterns is displayed small. This suggests that the number would be "7" if the original pattern arrangement of the center decorative pattern 8C was "987654321", but a different value of "1" has been placed.

After that, as shown in FIG. 63(I), the 10th column of decorative patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R following the 9th column of decorative patterns "313" are lined up in a losing pattern of "424", framed in from the top edge of the display screen 7a, and displayed moving at a reduced speed downward. The difference between the numbers ("4" and "2") represented by the right decorative pattern 8R and the center decorative pattern 8C in the 10th column of decorative patterns is "2". In other words, the difference becomes a predetermined value.

After that, as shown in FIG. 63(J), the speed of change of the decorative symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R increases and they are displayed changing at high speed. Here, a vertical line-shaped image is displayed with high speed movement.

After that, as shown in FIG. 63(K), after the high-speed fluctuation, the fluctuation speed slows down, and the left decorative pattern 8L, the middle decorative pattern 8C, and the right decorative pattern 8R are displayed in a decelerating fluctuation from top to bottom. When the decelerating fluctuation is displayed, an effect is executed in which the difference between the numbers represented by the right decorative pattern 8R and the middle decorative pattern 8C, which are lined up in a horizontal row, becomes "0". In other words, the numbers represented by the right decorative pattern 8R and the middle decorative pattern 8C become the same. The 11th column of decorative patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R are displayed in a decelerating movement from top to bottom on the display screen 7a in a "555" winning mode, and are framed out from the bottom edge of the display screen 7a. The difference between the numbers represented by the right decorative pattern 8R and the middle decorative pattern 8C in the 11th column of decorative patterns ("5" and "5") becomes "0". The 12th row of decorative symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R are then lined up in a "666" winning mode, framed in from the top of the display screen 7a, and displayed with a decelerating movement downward. The difference between the numbers ("6" and "6") represented by the right decorative symbol 8R and the center decorative symbol 8C in the 12th row of decorative symbols becomes "0". Then, the 13th row of decorative symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R following the 12th row of decorative symbols "666" are lined up in a "777" winning mode, framed in from the top of the display screen 7a, and displayed with a decelerating movement downward. Then, the rows of decorative symbols before and after the 13th row of decorative symbols "777" move upward and downward and frame out of the display screen 7a. Then, as shown in FIG. 63(L), only the 13th row of decorative symbols "777" is displayed, and the decorative symbols are confirmed and stopped. This notifies the winner.

[Pattern Number Difference Change Presentation B]
FIG. 64 is a diagram for explaining the pattern number difference change performance B. The pattern number difference change performance is a performance in which the first decorative pattern and the second decorative pattern of a set of decorative patterns that notify the special drawing result (win or lose) move together in a state where the difference between the numbers represented by each pattern is a predetermined value, and then move together in a state where the difference between the numbers is a value shifted by one from the predetermined value. First, as shown in FIG. 64 (A), decorative patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R are displayed on the display screen 7a. Here, the reserved icon 9A and the variable icon (reserved icon) 9C are not displayed, but may be displayed.

The decorative patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R are a set of patterns including the left decorative pattern 8L, the middle decorative pattern 8C, and the right decorative pattern 8R, and the variable display of the set of patterns represents the variable display of the special pattern (special pattern variation), and the stop display of the set of patterns notifies the result of the special pattern lottery. The special pattern here may be either the first special pattern or the second special pattern. The left decorative pattern 8L, the middle decorative pattern 8C, and the right decorative pattern 8R are displayed from the top to the bottom of the display screen 7a, respectively, and during deceleration variation, they are displayed vertically side by side so that two or more patterns can be seen at the same time on the display screen 7a. Here, the pattern arrangement of the middle decorative pattern 8C and the right decorative pattern 8R is arranged in the order of "987654321" from the top to the bottom of the display screen 7a. On the other hand, the arrangement of the left decorative pattern 8L is arranged in the order of "975318642" from top to bottom on the display screen 7a.

In FIG. 64(A), the decorative patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R change at high speed, then the change speed slows down, and the left decorative pattern 8L, the middle decorative pattern 8C, and the right decorative pattern 8R are displayed with a decelerating change from top to bottom. The decelerating change here means that the contents of the patterns included in the vertical pattern arrangement of the left decorative pattern 8L, the middle decorative pattern 8C, and the right decorative pattern 8R move at a speed at which they are visible. On the other hand, the high-speed change means that the contents of the patterns included in the vertical pattern arrangement of the left decorative pattern 8L, the middle decorative pattern 8C, and the right decorative pattern 8R move at a speed at which they are difficult to see. In this case, a vertical line-shaped image accompanying the high-speed movement may be displayed.

The left decorative pattern 8L, the middle decorative pattern 8C, and the right decorative pattern 8R all decelerate and change from top to bottom with each pattern in a horizontal row. At this time, an effect is executed in which the difference between the numbers represented by the right decorative pattern 8R and the middle decorative pattern 8C in a horizontal row becomes a predetermined value (here, "0"). In addition, an effect is executed in which the difference between the numbers represented by the middle decorative pattern 8C and the left decorative pattern 8L in a horizontal row changes for each combination of the middle decorative pattern 8C and the left decorative pattern 8L in a horizontal row.

On the display screen 7a, the first row of decorative patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R are displayed in a decelerating motion from top to bottom in a winning mode of "444", and are framed out from the bottom edge of the display screen 7a. The difference between the numbers ("4" and "4") represented by the right decorative pattern 8R and the center decorative pattern 8C in the first row of decorative patterns is "0" (=predetermined value). Also, the difference between the numbers ("4" and "4") represented by the center decorative pattern 8C and the left decorative pattern 8L in the first row of decorative patterns is "0". The second row of decorative patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R are displayed in a losing mode of "655", and are framed in from the top edge of the display screen 7a and are decelerated motion downward. The difference between the numbers ("5" and "5") represented by the right decorative pattern 8R and the center decorative pattern 8C in the second row of decorative patterns is "0" (=predetermined value). In addition, the difference between the numbers ("5" and "6") represented by the center decorative pattern 8C and the left decorative pattern 8L in the second row of decorative patterns is "1."

After that, as shown in FIG. 64(B), the third row of decorative patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R following the second row of decorative patterns "655" are lined up in a losing mode of "856", framed in from the top edge of the display screen 7a, and displayed moving at a reduced speed downward. The difference between the numbers ("6" and "5") represented by the right decorative pattern 8R and the center decorative pattern 8C in the third row of decorative patterns is "1". In other words, the value is shifted by 1 from the predetermined value. Here, the center decorative pattern 8C in the third row of decorative patterns is displayed small. This suggests that the original pattern arrangement of the center decorative pattern 8C is "987654321", which would be "6", but a pattern with a different value of "5" has been placed. , The difference between the numbers ("5" and "8") represented by the center decorative pattern 8C and the left decorative pattern 8L in the third row of decorative patterns is "3".

After that, as shown in FIG. 64(C), the fourth column of decorative patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R following the third column of decorative patterns "856" are lined up in a losing pattern of "167", framed in from the top edge of the display screen 7a, and displayed moving at a decelerated rate downward. The difference between the numbers represented by the right decorative pattern 8R and the center decorative pattern 8C in the fourth column of decorative patterns ("7" and "6") is "1". In other words, the value is shifted by 1 from the predetermined value. Also, the difference between the numbers represented by the center decorative pattern 8C and the left decorative pattern 8L in the fourth column of decorative patterns ("6" and "1") is "5".

After that, as shown in FIG. 64(D), the fifth column of decorative patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R following the fourth column of decorative patterns "167" are lined up in a losing mode of "368", framed in from the top edge of the display screen 7a, and displayed moving at a reduced speed downward. The difference between the numbers ("8" and "6") represented by the right decorative pattern 8R and the middle decorative pattern 8C in the fifth column of decorative patterns is "2". In other words, the value is shifted by 2 from the predetermined value. Here, the middle decorative pattern 8C in the fifth column of decorative patterns is displayed small. This suggests that a pattern with a different value "6" has been placed, whereas the original pattern arrangement of the middle decorative pattern 8C, "987654321", would be "7". The difference between the numbers ("6" and "3") represented by the middle decorative pattern 8C and the left decorative pattern 8L in the fifth column of decorative patterns is "3".

After that, as shown in FIG. 64(E), the sixth column of decorative patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R following the fifth column of decorative patterns "368" are lined up in a losing pattern of "579", framed in from the top edge of the display screen 7a, and displayed moving at a decelerated rate downward. The difference between the numbers ("9" and "7") represented by the right decorative pattern 8R and the center decorative pattern 8C in the sixth column of decorative patterns is "2". In other words, the value is shifted by 2 from the predetermined value. In addition, the difference between the numbers ("7" and "5") represented by the center decorative pattern 8C and the left decorative pattern 8L in the sixth column of decorative patterns is "2".

After that, as shown in FIG. 64(F), the seventh column of decorative patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R following the sixth column of decorative patterns "579" are lined up in a losing mode of "731", framed in from the top edge of the display screen 7a, and displayed moving at a reduced speed downward. The difference between the numbers ("1" and "3") represented by the right decorative pattern 8R and the middle decorative pattern 8C in the seventh column of decorative patterns is "2". In other words, the value is shifted by 2 from the predetermined value. Here, the middle decorative pattern 8C in the seventh column of decorative patterns is displayed small. This suggests that a pattern with a different value "3" has been placed, whereas the original pattern arrangement of the middle decorative pattern 8C, "987654321", would be "8". The difference between the numbers ("3" and "7") represented by the middle decorative pattern 8C and the left decorative pattern 8L in the seventh column of decorative patterns is "4".

After that, as shown in FIG. 64(G), the eighth column of decorative patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R following the seventh column of decorative patterns "731" are lined up in a losing pattern of "942", framed in from the top edge of the display screen 7a, and displayed moving at a decelerated rate downward. The difference between the numbers ("2" and "4") represented by the right decorative pattern 8R and the center decorative pattern 8C in the eighth column of decorative patterns is "2". In other words, the value is shifted by 2 from the predetermined value. Also, the difference between the numbers ("4" and "9") represented by the center decorative pattern 8C and the left decorative pattern 8L in the eighth column of decorative patterns is "5".

After that, as shown in FIG. 64(H), the ninth column of decorative patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R following the eighth column of decorative patterns "942" are displayed in a line in a losing pattern of "233", framed in from the top edge of the display screen 7a, and decelerated downward. The difference between the numbers ("3" and "3") represented by the right decorative pattern 8R and the center decorative pattern 8C in the ninth column of decorative patterns becomes "0". In other words, the difference returns to a predetermined value. Here, the center decorative pattern 8C in the ninth column of decorative patterns is displayed small. This suggests that the number would be "5" if the original pattern arrangement of center decorative pattern 8C was "987654321", but a different value of "3" has been placed.

After that, as shown in FIG. 64(I), the 10th column of decorative patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R following the 9th column of decorative patterns "233" are lined up in a "444" winning pattern, framed in from the top edge of the display screen 7a, and displayed moving at a reduced speed downward. The difference between the numbers represented by the right decorative pattern 8R and the center decorative pattern 8C in the 10th column of decorative patterns ("4" and "4") becomes "0". In other words, the difference becomes a predetermined value. Also, the difference between the numbers represented by the center decorative pattern 8C and the left decorative pattern 8L in the 10th column of decorative patterns ("4" and "4") becomes "0".

After that, as shown in FIG. 64(J), an effect is executed in which the difference between the numbers represented by the right decorative pattern 8R and the center decorative pattern 8C, which are lined up in a horizontal row, becomes "0". In other words, the numbers represented by the right decorative pattern 8R and the center decorative pattern 8C become the same. The 11th column of decorative patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R following the 10th column of decorative patterns "444" are lined up in a winning mode of "555", framed in from the top edge of the display screen 7a, and displayed with decelerating movement downward. The difference between the numbers represented by the right decorative pattern 8R and the center decorative pattern 8C in the 11th column of decorative patterns ("5" and "5") becomes "0". Also, the difference between the numbers represented by the center decorative pattern 8C and the left decorative pattern 8L in the 11th column of decorative patterns ("5" and "5") becomes "0".

After that, as shown in FIG. 64(K), the 12th column of decorative patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R following the 11th column of decorative patterns "555" are lined up in a "666" winning pattern, framed in from the top edge of the display screen 7a, and displayed moving at a reduced speed downwards. The difference between the numbers represented by the right decorative pattern 8R and the center decorative pattern 8C in the 12th column of decorative patterns ("6" and "6") is "0". Also, the difference between the numbers represented by the center decorative pattern 8C and the left decorative pattern 8L in the 11th column of decorative patterns ("6" and "6") is "0".

Then, the 13th decorative pattern column 8L, 8C, and 8R following the 12th decorative pattern column "666" are lined up in a "777" winning pattern, framed in from the top edge of the display screen 7a, and displayed moving downward at a decelerating rate. Then, the decorative pattern columns before and after the 13th decorative pattern column "777" move upward and downward and frame out of the display screen 7a. Then, as shown in FIG. 64(L), only the 13th decorative pattern column "777" is displayed, and the decorative pattern is confirmed and stopped. This notifies the user of a win.

[Pattern Number Difference Change Presentation C]
FIG. 65 is a diagram for explaining the pattern number difference change performance C. The pattern number difference change performance is a performance in which the first decorative pattern and the second decorative pattern of a set of decorative patterns that notify the special drawing result (win or lose) move together in a state where the difference between the numbers represented by each pattern is a predetermined value, and then move together in a state where the difference between the numbers is a value shifted by one from the predetermined value. First, as shown in FIG. 65 (A), decorative patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R are displayed on the display screen 7a. Here, the reserved icon 9A and the variable icon (reserved icon) 9C are not displayed, but may be displayed.

The decorative patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R are a set of patterns including the left decorative pattern 8L, the middle decorative pattern 8C, and the right decorative pattern 8R, and the variable display of the set of patterns represents the variable display of the special pattern (special pattern variation), and the stop display of the set of patterns notifies the result of the special pattern lottery. The special pattern here may be either the first special pattern or the second special pattern. The left decorative pattern 8L, the middle decorative pattern 8C, and the right decorative pattern 8R are displayed from the top to the bottom of the display screen 7a, respectively, and during deceleration variation, they are displayed vertically side by side so that two or more patterns can be seen at the same time on the display screen 7a. Here, the pattern arrangement of the middle decorative pattern 8C and the right decorative pattern 8R is arranged in the order of "987654321" from the top to the bottom of the display screen 7a. On the other hand, the arrangement of the left decorative pattern 8L is arranged in the order of "975318642" from top to bottom on the display screen 7a.

In FIG. 65(A), the decorative patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R change at high speed, then the change speed slows down, and the left decorative pattern 8L, the middle decorative pattern 8C, and the right decorative pattern 8R are displayed with a decelerating change from top to bottom. Here, decelerating change means that the contents of the patterns included in the vertical pattern arrangement of the left decorative pattern 8L, the middle decorative pattern 8C, and the right decorative pattern 8R move at a speed at which they are visible. On the other hand, high-speed change means that the contents of the patterns included in the vertical pattern arrangement of the left decorative pattern 8L, the middle decorative pattern 8C, and the right decorative pattern 8R move at a speed at which they are difficult to see. In this case, a vertical line-shaped image accompanying the high-speed movement may be displayed.

The left decorative pattern 8L, the middle decorative pattern 8C, and the right decorative pattern 8R all decelerate and change from top to bottom with each pattern in a horizontal row. At this time, an effect is executed in which the difference between the numbers represented by the right decorative pattern 8R and the middle decorative pattern 8C in a horizontal row becomes a predetermined value (here, "0"). In addition, an effect is executed in which the difference between the numbers represented by the middle decorative pattern 8C and the left decorative pattern 8L in a horizontal row changes for each combination of the middle decorative pattern 8C and the left decorative pattern 8L in a horizontal row.

On the display screen 7a, the first row of decorative patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R are displayed in a line in a winning mode of "444" from top to bottom at a reduced speed. The difference between the numbers ("4" and "4") represented by the right decorative pattern 8R and the center decorative pattern 8C in the first row of decorative patterns is "0" (predetermined value). Also, the difference between the numbers ("4" and "4") represented by the center decorative pattern 8C and the left decorative pattern 8L in the first row of decorative patterns is "0". The second row of decorative patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R are displayed in a losing mode of "655" from the top edge of the display screen 7a, decelerating and moving downward. The difference between the numbers ("5" and "5") represented by the right decorative pattern 8R and the center decorative pattern 8C in the second row of decorative patterns is "0" (predetermined value). In addition, the difference between the numbers ("5" and "6") represented by the center decorative pattern 8C and the left decorative pattern 8L in the second row of decorative patterns is "1."

After that, while the left decorative pattern 8L and the right decorative pattern 8R continue to decelerate, a central decorative pattern temporary stop performance is executed in which only the central decorative pattern 8C pauses. As a result, as shown in FIG. 65(A), while the vertically aligned "4" and "5" as the central decorative pattern 8C pause, the vertically aligned "4" and "6" as the left decorative pattern 8L and the vertically aligned "4" and "5" as the right decorative pattern 8R move downwards. As a result, as shown in FIG. 65(B), the combination of the left decorative pattern 8L, the central decorative pattern 8C, and the right decorative pattern 8R shifts by one, and the second row of decorative patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R are aligned horizontally as a "645" miss mode. In addition, the "8" of the left decorative pattern 8L and the "6" of the right decorative pattern 8R frame in, and are aligned horizontally with the "5" of the central decorative pattern 8C that was paused, forming the third row of decorative patterns in the miss mode of "856". In this state, the center decorative pattern 8C resumes movement in accordance with the deceleration fluctuations of the left decorative pattern 8L and the right decorative pattern 8R.

Due to this center decorative pattern pause effect, the difference between the numbers ("5" and "4") represented by the right decorative pattern 8R and the center decorative pattern 8C of the second decorative pattern column "645" becomes "1". In other words, the value is shifted by 1 from the predetermined value. Also, the difference between the numbers ("4" and "5") represented by the center decorative pattern 8C and the left decorative pattern 8L of the second decorative pattern column becomes "1". The difference between the numbers ("6" and "5") represented by the right decorative pattern 8R and the center decorative pattern 8C of the third decorative pattern column "856" that follows becomes "1". In other words, the value is shifted by 1 from the predetermined value. Also, the difference between the numbers ("5" and "8") represented by the center decorative pattern 8C and the left decorative pattern 8L of the third decorative pattern column becomes "3".

After that, as shown in FIG. 65(C), the fourth column of decorative patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R following the third column of decorative patterns "856" are lined up in a losing pattern of "167", framed in from the top edge of the display screen 7a, and displayed moving at a decelerated rate downward. The difference between the numbers represented by the right decorative pattern 8R and the center decorative pattern 8C in the fourth column of decorative patterns ("7" and "6") is "1". In other words, the value is shifted by 1 from the predetermined value. Also, the difference between the numbers represented by the center decorative pattern 8C and the left decorative pattern 8L in the fourth column of decorative patterns ("6" and "1") is "5".

After that, the central decorative pattern temporary stop performance is executed again. With the vertically aligned "5" and "6" as the central decorative pattern 8C temporarily stopped, the vertically aligned "8" and "1" as the left decorative pattern 8L and the vertically aligned "6" and "7" as the right decorative pattern 8R move downwards. As a result, as shown in FIG. 65(D), the combination of the left decorative pattern 8L, the central decorative pattern 8C, and the right decorative pattern 8R shifts by one, and the fourth row of decorative patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R are aligned horizontally as the miss mode of "157". In addition, the "3" of the left decorative pattern 8L and the "8" of the right decorative pattern 8R frame in, and are aligned horizontally with the "6" of the central decorative pattern 8C that was temporarily stopped, forming the fifth row of decorative patterns in the miss mode of "368". In this state, the central decorative pattern 8C resumes moving in accordance with the deceleration fluctuation of the left decorative pattern 8L and the right decorative pattern 8R.

Due to this center decorative pattern pause effect, the difference between the numbers ("7" and "5") represented by the right decorative pattern 8R and the center decorative pattern 8C of the fourth decorative pattern column "157" becomes "2". In other words, the value is shifted by 2 from the predetermined value. Also, the difference between the numbers ("5" and "1") represented by the center decorative pattern 8C and the left decorative pattern 8L of the fourth decorative pattern column becomes "4". The difference between the numbers ("8" and "6") represented by the right decorative pattern 8R and the center decorative pattern 8C of the fifth decorative pattern column "368" that follows becomes "2". In other words, the value is shifted by 2 from the predetermined value. Also, the difference between the numbers ("6" and "3") represented by the center decorative pattern 8C and the left decorative pattern 8L of the fifth decorative pattern column becomes "3".

After that, as shown in FIG. 65(E), the sixth column of decorative patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R following the fifth column of decorative patterns "368" are lined up in a losing pattern of "579", framed in from the top edge of the display screen 7a, and displayed moving at a decelerated rate downward. The difference between the numbers ("9" and "7") represented by the right decorative pattern 8R and the center decorative pattern 8C in the sixth column of decorative patterns is "2". In other words, the value is shifted by 2 from the predetermined value. Also, the difference between the numbers ("7" and "5") represented by the center decorative pattern 8C and the left decorative pattern 8L in the sixth column of decorative patterns is "2".

After that, as shown in FIG. 65(F), the seventh column of decorative patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R following the sixth column of decorative patterns "579" are lined up in a losing pattern of "731", framed in from the top edge of the display screen 7a, and displayed moving at a decelerated rate downward. The difference between the numbers ("1" and "3") represented by the right decorative pattern 8R and the center decorative pattern 8C in the seventh column of decorative patterns is "2". In other words, the value is shifted by 2 from the predetermined value. The difference between the numbers ("3" and "7") represented by the center decorative pattern 8C and the left decorative pattern 8L in the seventh column of decorative patterns is "4".

After that, as shown in FIG. 65(G), the eighth column of decorative patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R following the seventh column of decorative patterns "731" are lined up in a losing pattern of "942", framed in from the top edge of the display screen 7a, and displayed moving at a decelerated rate downward. The difference between the numbers ("2" and "4") represented by the right decorative pattern 8R and the center decorative pattern 8C in the eighth column of decorative patterns is "2". In other words, the value is shifted by 2 from the predetermined value. Also, the difference between the numbers ("4" and "9") represented by the center decorative pattern 8C and the left decorative pattern 8L in the eighth column of decorative patterns is "5".

After that, the central decorative pattern temporary stop performance is executed again. With the vertically aligned "3" and "4" as the central decorative pattern 8C temporarily stopped, the vertically aligned "7" and "9" as the left decorative pattern 8L and the vertically aligned "1" and "2" as the right decorative pattern 8R move downwards. As a result, as shown in FIG. 65(H), the combination of the left decorative pattern 8L, the central decorative pattern 8C, and the right decorative pattern 8R shifts by one, and the eighth row of decorative patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R are aligned horizontally as the missing form of "932". In addition, the "2" of the left decorative pattern 8L and the "3" of the right decorative pattern 8R frame in and are aligned horizontally with the "4" of the central decorative pattern 8C that was temporarily stopped, forming the ninth row of decorative patterns in the missing form of "243".

Due to this center decorative pattern pause effect, the difference between the numbers ("2" and "3") represented by the right decorative pattern 8R and the center decorative pattern 8C of the eighth decorative pattern column "932" becomes "1". In other words, the value is shifted by one from the predetermined value. Also, the difference between the numbers ("3" and "9") represented by the center decorative pattern 8C and the left decorative pattern 8L of the eighth decorative pattern column becomes "6". The difference between the numbers ("3" and "4") represented by the right decorative pattern 8R and the center decorative pattern 8C of the following ninth decorative pattern column "243" becomes "1". In other words, the value is shifted by one from the predetermined value. Also, the difference between the numbers ("4" and "2") represented by the center decorative pattern 8C and the left decorative pattern 8L of the ninth decorative pattern column becomes "2".

Here, the central decorative pattern one-time stop performance continues. With the vertically aligned "3" and "4" as the central decorative pattern 8C remaining paused, the vertically aligned "9" and "2" as the left decorative pattern 8L and the vertically aligned "2" and "3" as the right decorative pattern 8R move downwards. As a result, as shown in FIG. 65(I), the combination of the left decorative pattern 8L, the central decorative pattern 8C, and the right decorative pattern 8R shifts by two, and the ninth row of decorative patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R are aligned horizontally as a losing pattern of "233". In addition, the "4" of the left decorative pattern 8L and the "4" of the right decorative pattern 8R frame in and are aligned horizontally with the "4" of the central decorative pattern 8C that was paused, forming the tenth row of decorative patterns in the winning pattern of "444".

Due to this center decorative pattern pause performance, the difference between the numbers ("3" and "3") represented by the right decorative pattern 8R and the center decorative pattern 8C of the 9th decorative pattern column "233" becomes "0". In other words, it returns to a predetermined value. Also, the difference between the numbers ("3" and "2") represented by the center decorative pattern 8C and the left decorative pattern 8L of the 9th decorative pattern column becomes "1". The difference between the numbers ("4" and "4") represented by the right decorative pattern 8R and the center decorative pattern 8C of the following 10th decorative pattern column "444" becomes "0". In other words, it returns to a predetermined value. Also, the difference between the numbers ("4" and "4") represented by the center decorative pattern 8C and the left decorative pattern 8L of the 10th decorative pattern column becomes "0".

After that, as shown in FIG. 65(J), an effect is executed in which the difference between the numbers represented by the right decorative pattern 8R and the center decorative pattern 8C, which are lined up in a horizontal row, becomes "0". In other words, the numbers represented by the right decorative pattern 8R and the center decorative pattern 8C become the same. The 11th column of decorative patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R following the 10th column of decorative patterns "444" are lined up in a winning mode of "555", framed in from the top edge of the display screen 7a, and displayed with decelerating movement downward. The difference between the numbers represented by the right decorative pattern 8R and the center decorative pattern 8C in the 11th column of decorative patterns ("5" and "5") becomes "0". Also, the difference between the numbers represented by the center decorative pattern 8C and the left decorative pattern 8L in the 11th column of decorative patterns ("5" and "5") becomes "0".

After that, as shown in FIG. 65(K), the 12th column of decorative patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R following the 11th column of decorative patterns "555" are lined up in a "666" winning pattern, framed in from the top edge of the display screen 7a, and displayed moving at a reduced speed downwards. The difference between the numbers represented by the right decorative pattern 8R and the center decorative pattern 8C in the 12th column of decorative patterns ("6" and "6") is "0". Also, the difference between the numbers represented by the center decorative pattern 8C and the left decorative pattern 8L in the 11th column of decorative patterns ("6" and "6") is "0".

Then, the 13th decorative row 8L, 8C, and 8R following the 12th decorative row "666" are lined up in a "777" winning pattern, framed in from the top edge of the display screen 7a, and displayed moving downward at a decelerating rate. Then, the rows of decorative rows before and after the 13th decorative row "777" move upward and downward and frame out of the display screen 7a. Then, as shown in FIG. 65(L), only the 13th decorative row "777" is displayed, and the decorative row stops and is confirmed. This indicates a win.

[Example of effect]
Below are examples of the effects of the pattern number difference change presentation.
[Effect 1]
In the gaming machine 1 of the above embodiment, as shown in Figures 63 to 65, a first effect can be executed in which the right decorative pattern 8R and the center decorative pattern 8C of a set of decorative patterns move together in a state where the difference between the numbers represented by each pattern is a predetermined value, and after the first effect, a second effect can be executed in which the right decorative pattern 8R and the center decorative pattern 8C move together in a state where the difference between the numbers represented by each pattern is shifted by 1 from the predetermined value. With this configuration, a novel effect that has never been seen before can be visually entertained by the player, and interest can be increased.
[Effect 2]
In the gaming machine 1 of the above embodiment, as shown in Figures 63 to 65, after the second performance, a third performance can be executed in which the right decorative pattern 8R and the center decorative pattern 8C move together in a line such that the difference between the numbers represented by each pattern is shifted by 2 from a predetermined value. With this configuration, a novel performance that has never been seen before can visually entertain the player, and can increase the interest.
[Effect 3]
In the gaming machine 1 of the above embodiment, as shown in Figures 63 to 65, after the third effect, a fourth effect can be executed in which the right decorative pattern 8R and the center decorative pattern 8C move together in a line such that the difference between the numbers represented by each pattern is a predetermined value. With this configuration, a novel effect that has never been seen before can be visually entertaining to the player, and can increase the interest of the player.
[Effect 4]
In the gaming machine 1 of the above embodiment, as shown in Figures 63 to 65, in the first performance, the right decorative pattern 8R and the center decorative pattern 8C move together in a lined up state so that the difference between the numbers represented by each pattern is a predetermined value, and each time the right decorative pattern 8R and the center decorative pattern 8C move together in a lined up state, the numbers represented by the right decorative pattern 8R and the numbers represented by the center decorative pattern 8C change. According to this configuration, the player can be visually entertained by the unprecedented novel performance, and the interest can be improved.
[Effect 5]
In the gaming machine 1 of the above embodiment, as shown in Figures 64-65, in the first performance, the performance in which the right decorative pattern 8R, the middle decorative pattern 8C, and the left decorative pattern 8L of one set of decorative patterns move together in a line is executed multiple times, and the difference between the number represented by the middle decorative pattern 8C and the number represented by the left decorative pattern 8L changes every time the middle decorative pattern 8C and the left decorative pattern 8L move together in a line. According to this configuration, the player can be visually entertained by the unprecedented novel performance, and the interest can be improved.
[Effect 6]
In the gaming machine 1 of the above embodiment, as shown in Figures 63 to 65, after the fourth effect, a fifth effect can be executed in which the right decorative pattern 8R, the center decorative pattern 8C, and the left decorative pattern 8L move together in a state of being lined up with the same numbers. According to this configuration, a novel effect that has never been seen before can be visually entertaining to the player, and can increase the interest.

[Modification]
Below, modified examples of the pattern number difference change presentation are shown.
[Modification 1]
In the pattern number difference change performances A to C, the difference between the right decorative pattern 8R and the center decorative pattern 8C is a predetermined value. However, the difference between the left decorative pattern 8L and the center decorative pattern 8C may be a predetermined value, or the difference between the right decorative pattern 8R and the left decorative pattern 8L may be a predetermined value.

[Modification 2]
In the pattern number difference change effects A to C, the effects described may be combined as appropriate.

[Example of embodiment]
In the gaming machine of this embodiment, the following aspects can be realized.
◇[Aspect A5-1]
A gaming machine having a display means capable of displaying a plurality of types of images,
One of the plurality of types of images is a set of decorative patterns for informing the winner,
A first effect in which the first decorative pattern and the second decorative pattern of the set of decorative patterns move together in a state where the difference between the numbers represented by the respective patterns is a predetermined value;
A second effect is executed in which the first decorative pattern and the second decorative pattern move together in a state where the difference between the numbers represented by the first decorative pattern and the second decorative pattern is a value shifted by one from the predetermined value after the first effect.
A gaming machine characterized by:
◇[Aspect A5-2]
2. The gaming machine according to claim 1,
After the second performance, a third performance can be executed in which the first decorative pattern and the second decorative pattern move together in a line such that the difference between the numbers represented by the respective patterns is shifted by 2 from the predetermined value.
A gaming machine characterized by:
◇[Aspect A5-3]
3. The gaming machine according to claim 1 or 2,
After the third performance, a fourth performance can be executed in which the first decorative pattern and the second decorative pattern move together in a line such that the difference between the numbers represented by the respective patterns is the predetermined value.
A gaming machine characterized by:
◇[Aspect A5-4]
A gaming machine according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
In the first performance, a performance in which the first decorative pattern and the second decorative pattern move together in a state where they are lined up so that the difference between the numbers represented by the respective patterns is the predetermined value is executed multiple times, and each time the first decorative pattern and the second decorative pattern move together in a state where they are lined up, the numbers represented by the first decorative pattern and the numbers represented by the second decorative pattern change.
A gaming machine characterized by:
◇[Aspect A5-5]
A gaming machine according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
In the first performance, a performance in which the first decorative pattern, the second decorative pattern, and the third decorative pattern among the set of decorative patterns move together in a line is executed a plurality of times, and each time the second decorative pattern and the third decorative pattern move together in a line, a difference between a number represented by the second decorative pattern and a number represented by the third decorative pattern changes.
A gaming machine characterized by:
◇[Aspect A5-6]
4. The gaming machine according to claim 3,
After the fourth performance, a fifth performance can be executed in which the first decorative pattern, the second decorative pattern, and the third decorative pattern move together in a state where the same numbers are arranged in a row.
A gaming machine characterized by:

The following describes the superimposed effect patterns A to F using Figures 66 to 68. These superimposed effect patterns can be executed during a variable effect. That is, the image control microcomputer 101 analyzes the variable start command received from the sub-control board 90, and if the command to execute a superimposed effect pattern is included, it reads out the corresponding image data from the ROM 103 and displays the image on the display screen 7a of the image display device 7.

Figure 66 is a diagram for explaining the superimposed performance pattern A and the superimposed performance pattern B.
[Production pattern superimposition production A]
In the performance pattern overlap performance A, the performance patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R are displayed in a variable manner so that they move downward. The arrangement of the performance patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R on the left, center, and right is the same. When the performance patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R are displayed in a variable manner, the patterns are displayed in ascending order, such as "1" pattern → "2" pattern → "3" pattern → "4" pattern → "5" pattern → "6" pattern → "7" pattern → "1" pattern → ...

Figures 66 (A) to (F) are figures to explain the performance pattern superimposition performance A.
First, as shown in Fig. 66(A), the left pattern stop performance is executed. The left pattern stop performance is a performance in which the moving speed of the left performance pattern 8L slows down, and then the left performance pattern 8L stops. Here, the "6" pattern of the left performance pattern 8L is shown stopped in the center of the vertical direction of the display screen 7a. The middle performance pattern 8C and the right performance pattern 8R are fluctuating at high speed.

Next, as shown in Figure 66 (B), a right pattern stop effect is executed. In the right pattern stop effect, the movement speed of the right pattern 8R slows down, and then the right pattern 8R stops. Here, the movement speed of the right pattern 8R slows down, and the "6" pattern is shown just before it approaches the center of the display screen 7a. At this time, the "6" pattern of the left pattern 8L and the "6" pattern of the right pattern 8R are enlarged and displayed. This is likely to give the player hope that a reach pattern will be formed with the "6" pattern.

Next, as shown in FIG. 66(C), a blackout effect is executed. The blackout effect is an effect in which the entire display screen 7a goes dark. The blackout effect makes it difficult to see the effect symbols, as they are completely invisible.

Next, as shown in FIG. 66(D), a reach formation effect is executed. The reach formation effect is an effect in which the effect symbols stop in a reach state. Here, the "6" symbol of the left and right effect symbols 8L, 8R is displayed even larger than during the right pattern stop effect, and the "6" symbol of the left and right effect symbols 8L, 8R is displayed overlapping the "5" symbol located below and the "7" symbol located above. Also, part of the "6" symbol is framed out of the display screen 7a. Furthermore, the movement speed of the middle effect symbol 8C is slowed down to the extent that the middle effect symbol 8C can be seen.

Next, as shown in FIG. 66(E), the middle symbol stop effect is executed. The middle symbol stop effect is an effect in which the movement speed of the middle symbol 8C slows down, and then the middle symbol 8C stops. Here, the movement speed of the middle symbol 8C slows down, and the state just before the "6" symbol approaches the center of the display screen 7a is shown. Note that the left and right effect symbols 8L and 8R are hidden from view, as the enlarged "6" symbol returns to its original size, and the "5" symbol and the "7" symbol, which are symbols other than the "6" symbol, are hidden. Of course, the "5" symbol and the "7" symbol may be displayed in an inconspicuous manner, such as semi-transparent. If it is a big win, the "6" symbol stops in the center of the display screen 7a, and if it is a loss, the "6" symbol passes the center and the "7" symbol stops. Here, we will continue the explanation assuming that it is a big win.

Next, as shown in FIG. 66 (F), a fixed stop effect (jackpot) is executed. A fixed stop effect (jackpot) is an effect in which the effect symbols stop fixed in the form of a jackpot. Here, the effect symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R on the left, center, and right all stop fixed as the "6" symbol. This makes it easy to understand that a jackpot has occurred.

[Production pattern superimposition production B]
In the performance pattern overlap performance B, the performance patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R are displayed in a changing manner so as to move downward. The arrangement of the left performance pattern 8L and the center right performance patterns 8C and 8R is reversed. When the left performance pattern 8L is displayed in a changing manner, the patterns are displayed in descending order, such as "7" pattern → "6" pattern → "5" pattern → "4" pattern → "3" pattern → "2" pattern → "1" pattern → "7" pattern → ... On the other hand, when the center right performance patterns 8C and 8R are displayed in a changing manner, the patterns are displayed in ascending order, such as "1" pattern → "2" pattern → "3" pattern → "4" pattern → "5" pattern → "6" pattern → "7" pattern → "1" pattern → ...

Figures 66 (G) to (L) are figures to explain the performance pattern superimposition performance B.
First, as shown in Fig. 66 (G), the left pattern stop performance is executed. The left pattern stop performance is a performance in which the moving speed of the left performance pattern 8L slows down, and then the left performance pattern 8L stops. Here, the "6" pattern of the left performance pattern 8L is shown stopped in the center of the vertical direction of the display screen 7a. The middle performance pattern 8C and the right performance pattern 8R are fluctuating at high speed.

Next, as shown in FIG. 66(H), a right symbol stop effect is executed. In the right symbol stop effect, the movement speed of the right symbol 8R slows down, and then the right symbol 8R stops. Here, the movement speed of the right symbol 8R slows down, and the "6" symbol is shown just before it approaches the center of the display screen 7a. At this time, the "6" symbol on the left symbol 8L and the "6" symbol on the right symbol 8R are enlarged and displayed. This is likely to give the player hope that the "6" symbol will form a reach pattern. At this time, the "6" symbol may be displayed so that it frames out of the display screen 7a.

Next, as shown in FIG. 66(I), a blackout effect is executed. The blackout effect is an effect in which the entire display screen 7a goes dark. The blackout effect makes it difficult to see the effect symbols, as they are completely invisible.

Next, as shown in FIG. 66(J), a reach formation effect is executed. The reach formation effect is an effect in which the effect symbols stop in a reach state. Here, the "6" symbols of the left and right effect symbols 8L and 8R are displayed even larger than when the right symbol stops, and the "6" symbol of the left effect symbol 8L is displayed overlapping the "7" symbol located below and the "5" symbol located above, while the "6" symbol of the right effect symbol 8L is displayed overlapping the "5" symbol located below and the "7" symbol located above. In addition, the movement speed of the middle effect symbol 8C is slowed down enough that the middle effect symbol 8C can be seen, and parts of the "6" symbols of the left and right effect symbols 8L and 8R overlap the middle effect symbol 8C.

Next, as shown in FIG. 66 (K), a middle symbol stop effect is executed. In the middle symbol stop effect, the movement speed of the middle symbol 8C slows down, and then the middle symbol 8C stops. Here, the movement speed of the middle symbol 8C slows down, and the state just before the "6" symbol approaches the center of the display screen 7a is shown. Note that the "5" symbol and the "7" symbol may be displayed in an inconspicuous manner, such as semi-transparently. If there is a jackpot, the "6" symbol stops in the center of the display screen 7a, and if there is a loss, the "6" symbol passes the center and the "7" symbol stops. Here, we will continue the explanation assuming that there has been a jackpot.

Next, as shown in FIG. 66 (L), a confirmed stop effect (jackpot) is executed. A confirmed stop effect (jackpot) is an effect in which the effect symbols stop in a confirmed jackpot state. Here, the "6" symbol stops in the center of the effect symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R on the left, center, and right. This makes it easy to understand that a jackpot has been reached.

Figure 67 is a diagram for explaining the effect pattern superimposition effect C and the effect pattern superimposition effect D.
[Production pattern superimposition production C]
In the overlapping effect C, the effect patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R are displayed in a variably downward manner. The arrangement of the effect patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R on the left, center, and right is the same. When the effect patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R are displayed in a variably manner, the patterns are displayed in ascending order: "1" → "2" → "3" → "4" → "5" → "6" → "7" → "1" → ...

Figures 67 (A) to (F) are figures to explain the effect pattern superimposition effect C.
First, as shown in Fig. 67(A), the left pattern stop performance is executed. The left pattern stop performance is a performance in which the moving speed of the left performance pattern 8L slows down, and then the left performance pattern 8L stops. Here, the "6" pattern of the left performance pattern 8L is shown stopped in the center of the vertical direction of the display screen 7a. The middle performance pattern 8C and the right performance pattern 8R are fluctuating at high speed.

Next, as shown in Figure 67 (B), a right pattern stop effect is executed. The right pattern stop effect is an effect in which the movement speed of the right performance pattern 8R slows down, and then the right performance pattern 8R stops. Here, the movement speed of the right performance pattern 8R slows down, and the state just before the "6" pattern approaches the center of the display screen 7a is shown.

Next, as shown in FIG. 67(C), an image display effect is executed. The image display effect is an effect in which multiple predetermined images are displayed. Here, multiple smile images SG are displayed so as to fill the display screen 7a. This makes it difficult to see the effect patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R on the display screen 7a. Note that the multiple smile images SG are the same size, but the smile images SG may include images of different sizes. Also, although one type of smile image SG is used, two or more types of images may be used. Furthermore, the smile images SG may be displayed in a moving manner, so that an effect in which the images move in a group may be performed.

When the smile image SG disappears and the effect symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R become visible, a symbol spacing reduction effect is executed, as shown in FIG. 67(D). The symbol spacing reduction effect is an effect in which the space between the left and right effect symbols 8L and 8R in the column direction narrows, and the left and right effect symbols 8L and 8R overlap in the column direction. Here, the left and right effect symbols 8L and 8R are shown as "5", "6", "7", and "8" overlapping. Here, the explanation will continue assuming that the "7" symbol has become the reach symbol.

Next, as shown in FIG. 67(E), the middle symbol stop effect is executed. The middle symbol stop effect is an effect in which the movement speed of the middle symbol 8C slows down, and then the middle symbol 8C stops. Here, the movement speed of the middle symbol 8C slows down, and the state just before the "6" symbol approaches the center of the display screen 7a is shown. Note that the left and right effect symbols 8L and 8R are hidden from view, except for the "7" symbol, which is the reach symbol, and the "5", "6" and "8" symbols. Of course, the "5", "6" and "8" symbols may be displayed in an inconspicuous manner, such as semi-transparently. If it is a jackpot, the "7" symbol stops in the center of the display screen 7a, and if it is a miss, the "7" symbol passes the center and the "8" symbol stops. Here, we will continue the explanation assuming that it is a jackpot.

Next, as shown in FIG. 67(F), a fixed stop effect (jackpot) is executed. A fixed stop effect (jackpot) is an effect in which the effect symbols stop at a fixed jackpot. Here, the effect symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R on the left, center, and right all stop at a fixed "7" pattern. This makes it easy to understand that a jackpot has occurred.

[Production pattern superimposition production D]
In the overlapping effect D, the effect patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R are displayed in a variably downward manner. The arrangement of the effect patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R on the left, center, and right is the same. When the effect patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R are displayed in a variably manner, the patterns are displayed in ascending order: "1" → "2" → "3" → "4" → "5" → "6" → "7" → "1" → ...

Figures 67 (G) to (L) are figures to explain the effect pattern superimposition effect D.
First, as shown in Fig. 67(G), the left pattern stop performance is executed. The left pattern stop performance is a performance in which the moving speed of the left performance pattern 8L slows down, and then the left performance pattern 8L stops. Here, the "6" pattern of the left performance pattern 8L is shown stopped in the center of the vertical direction of the display screen 7a. The middle performance pattern 8C and the right performance pattern 8R are fluctuating at high speed.

Next, as shown in Figure 67 (H), a right pattern stop effect is executed. The right pattern stop effect is an effect in which the movement speed of the right pattern 8R slows down, and then the right pattern 8R stops. Here, the movement speed of the right pattern 8R slows down, and the "6" pattern is shown just before it approaches the center of the display screen 7a.

Next, as shown in FIG. 67(I), an image display effect is executed. The image display effect is an effect in which multiple predetermined images are displayed. Here, multiple smile images SG are displayed so as to fill the display screen 7a. This makes it difficult to see the effect patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R on the display screen 7a. Note that the multiple smile images SG are the same size, but the smile images SG may include images of different sizes. Also, although one type of smile image SG is used, two or more types of images may be used. Furthermore, the smile images SG may be displayed in a moving manner, so that an effect in which the images move in a group may be performed.

When the smile image SG disappears and the effect symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R become visible, a symbol spacing reduction effect is executed as shown in FIG. 67(J). The symbol spacing reduction effect is an effect in which the spacing between the center effect symbols 8C in the column direction becomes narrower, and the center effect symbols 8C overlap in the column direction. Here, the center effect symbols 8C are shown as "3", "4", "5", "6", and "7" overlapping. The reach symbol is a "6", and symbols other than the "6" symbol are hidden in the left and right effect symbols 8L and 8R. Symbols other than the "6" symbol may be displayed semi-transparently.

Next, as shown in FIG. 67 (K), a middle symbol stop effect is executed. The middle symbol stop effect is an effect in which the middle effect symbol 8C stops. Here, the "5", "6", and "7" symbols are overlapping, and the foreground "5" symbol disappears first. If there is a jackpot, the "6" symbol stops in the center of the display screen 7a, and if there is a loss, the "6" symbol also disappears and the "7" symbol stops. Here, we will continue the explanation assuming that there has been a jackpot.

Next, as shown in FIG. 67 (L), a confirmed stop effect (jackpot) is executed. A confirmed stop effect (jackpot) is an effect in which the effect symbols stop in a confirmed jackpot state. Here, the "6" symbol stops in the center of the effect symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R on the left, center, and right. This makes it easy to understand that a jackpot has been reached.

Figure 68 is a diagram for explaining the effect pattern superimposition effect E and the effect pattern superimposition effect F.
[Production pattern superimposition production E]
In the overlapping effect E, the effect patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R are displayed in a variably downward manner. The arrangement of the effect patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R on the left, center, and right is the same. When the effect patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R are displayed in a variably manner, the patterns are displayed in ascending order, such as "1" → "2" → "3" → "4" → "5" → "6" → "7" → "1" → ...

Figures 68 (A) to (F) are figures to explain the performance pattern superimposition performance E.
First, as shown in Fig. 68(A), the left pattern stop performance is executed. The left pattern stop performance is a performance in which the moving speed of the left performance pattern 8L slows down, and then the left performance pattern 8L stops. Here, the "6" pattern of the left performance pattern 8L is shown stopped in the center of the vertical direction of the display screen 7a. The middle performance pattern 8C and the right performance pattern 8R are fluctuating at high speed.

Next, as shown in Figure 68 (B), a right pattern stop effect is executed. The right pattern stop effect is an effect in which the movement speed of the right pattern 8R slows down, and then the right pattern 8R stops. Here, the movement speed of the right pattern 8R slows down, and the "6" pattern is shown just before it approaches the center of the display screen 7a.

Next, as shown in FIG. 68(C), an image display effect is executed. The image display effect is an effect in which multiple predetermined images are displayed. Here, multiple smile images SG are displayed so as to fill the display screen 7a. This makes it difficult to see the effect patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R on the display screen 7a. Note that the multiple smile images SG are the same size, but the smile images SG may include images of different sizes. Also, although one type of smile image SG is used, two or more types of images may be used. Furthermore, the smile images SG may be displayed in a moving manner, so that an effect in which the images move in a group may be performed.

When the smile image SG disappears and the effect symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R become visible, a symbol spacing reduction effect is executed, as shown in FIG. 68(D). The symbol spacing reduction effect is an effect in which the space between the left and right effect symbols 8L and 8R in the column direction narrows, causing the left and right effect symbols 8L and 8R to overlap in the column direction. Here, a "6" and a "7" are shown overlapping as the left and right effect symbols 8L and 8R. By overlapping the two effect symbols in this way, it is possible to give the player hope as to which effect symbol will form a reach. Here, the explanation will continue assuming that the "7" has become the reach symbol.

Next, as shown in FIG. 68(E), the middle symbol stop effect is executed. The middle symbol stop effect is an effect in which the movement speed of the middle symbol 8C slows down, and then the middle symbol 8C stops. Here, the movement speed of the middle symbol 8C slows down, and the state just before the "6" symbol approaches the center of the display screen 7a is shown. Note that the left and right effect symbols 8L and 8R are hidden from the "6" symbol, which is a symbol other than the "7" symbol, which is a reach symbol. Of course, the "6" symbol may be displayed in an inconspicuous manner, such as semi-transparently. If it is a jackpot, the "7" symbol stops in the center of the display screen 7a, and if it is a miss, the "7" symbol passes the center and the "8" symbol stops. Here, we will continue the explanation assuming that it is a jackpot.

Next, as shown in FIG. 68 (F), a fixed stop effect (jackpot) is executed. A fixed stop effect (jackpot) is an effect in which the effect symbols stop fixed in the form of a jackpot. Here, the effect symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R on the left, center, and right all stop fixed as the "7" symbol. This makes it easy to understand that a jackpot has occurred.

[Production pattern superimposition production F]
In the overlapping effect F, the effect patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R are displayed in a variably downward manner. The arrangement of the effect patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R on the left, center, and right is the same. When the effect patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R are displayed in a variably manner, the patterns are displayed in ascending order: "1" → "2" → "3" → "4" → "5" → "6" → "7" → "1" → ...

Figures 68 (G) to (L) are figures to explain the performance pattern superimposition performance F.
First, as shown in Fig. 68(G), the left symbol stop effect is executed. The left symbol stop effect is an effect in which the moving speed of the left symbol 8L slows down, and then the left symbol 8L stops. Here, the "6" symbol of the left symbol 8L is shown stopped in the center of the vertical direction of the display screen 7a. The middle symbol 8C and the right symbol 8R are fluctuating at high speed.

Next, as shown in Figure 68 (H), a right pattern stop effect is executed. The right pattern stop effect is an effect in which the movement speed of the right pattern 8R slows down, and then the right pattern 8R stops. Here, the movement speed of the right pattern 8R slows down, and the "6" pattern is shown just before it approaches the center of the display screen 7a.

Next, as shown in FIG. 68(I), an image display effect is executed. The image display effect is an effect in which multiple predetermined images are displayed. Here, multiple smile images SG are displayed so as to fill the display screen 7a. This makes it difficult to see the effect patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R on the display screen 7a. Note that the multiple smile images SG are the same size, but the smile images SG may include images of different sizes. Also, although one type of smile image SG is used, two or more types of images may be used. Furthermore, the smile images SG may be displayed in a moving manner, so that an effect in which the images move in a group may be performed.

When the smile image SG disappears and the performance symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R become visible, a symbol spacing reduction effect is executed as shown in FIG. 68 (J). The symbol spacing reduction effect is an effect in which the spacing between the center performance symbols 8C in the column direction becomes narrower, and the center performance symbols 8C overlap in the column direction. Here, the center performance symbols 8C are shown as overlapping "6" and "7". Note that the reach symbol is a "6", and symbols other than the "6" symbol are hidden in the left and right performance symbols 8L and 8R. Note that symbols other than the "6" symbol may be displayed semi-transparently.

Next, as shown in FIG. 68 (K), a middle symbol stop effect is executed. The middle symbol stop effect is an effect in which the middle effect symbol 8C stops. Here, the "6" and "7" symbols to be stopped are enlarged and then one of the symbols stops. If it is a jackpot, the "6" symbol remains on the display screen 7a, and if it is a loss, the "7" symbol remains on the display screen 7a. Here, we will continue the explanation assuming that it was a jackpot.

Next, as shown in FIG. 68 (L), a confirmed stop effect (jackpot) is executed. A confirmed stop effect (jackpot) is an effect in which the effect symbols stop in a confirmed jackpot state. Here, the "6" symbol stops in the center of the effect symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R on the left, center, and right. This makes it easy to understand that a jackpot has been reached.

[Example of effect]
Below are some examples of the effects of the superimposed design effects.
[Effect 1]
In the gaming machine 1 of the above embodiment, a variable display is performed in multiple pattern rows, and a pattern overlap effect is executed, changing from a first state (Fig. 66(B)(H), Fig. 67(B)(H), Fig. 68(B)(H)) in which adjacent patterns in a specific pattern row do not overlap, to a second state (Fig. 66(D)(J), Fig. 67(D)(J), Fig. 68(D)(J)) in which adjacent patterns overlap. With this configuration, the variable display of the patterns becomes innovative, and the interest of the game can be increased. Note that the effect control microcomputer 91 corresponds to the "effect execution means."

[Effect 2]
In the gaming machine 1 of the above embodiment, a specific symbol row is put into a third state in which it is difficult to see, in the middle of changing from a first state in which the symbols do not overlap to a second state in which the symbols overlap (FIGS. 66(C)(I), 67(C)(I), 68(C)(I)). According to this configuration, by making it difficult to see, it is possible to give the player expectations about how the subsequent performance symbols will be displayed, and it is possible to increase the interest of the game.

[Effect 3]
In the gaming machine 1 of the above embodiment, a smile image SG that overlaps a specific symbol row is displayed to make the specific symbol row difficult to see, in a third state (FIGS. 67(C)(I), 68(C)(I)). According to this configuration, by making the specific symbol row difficult to see by displaying a smile image SG, it is possible to give the player expectations about how the subsequent performance symbols will be displayed, and it is possible to increase the interest of the game.

[Effect 4]
In the gaming machine 1 of the above embodiment, at least one of the symbols constituting a specific symbol string is enlarged to execute the symbol overlapping effect (FIGS. 66(D)(J), 68(K)). According to this configuration, at least one of the symbols is enlarged and overlapped, so that the display of the varying symbols becomes more innovative and the interest of the game can be increased.

[Effect 5]
In the gaming machine 1 of the above embodiment, in the pattern overlapping performance, a part of the enlarged pattern is framed out of the display screen 7a (FIG. 66(D)). According to this configuration, at least one pattern is enlarged and overlapped, and a part of the enlarged pattern is framed out, so that the display of the changing patterns becomes more innovative and the interest of the game can be improved.

[Effect 6]
In the gaming machine 1 of the above embodiment, when the symbols constituting a specific symbol string are displayed frozen, a symbol overlapping effect is executed (FIGS. 66(D)(J), 67(D), 68(D)). With this configuration, the positional relationship of the symbols displayed frozen changes, making the display of the symbols more innovative and increasing the interest of the game.

[Effect 7]
In the gaming machine 1 of the above embodiment, in the pattern overlapping effect, the enlarged left and right effect patterns 8L and 8R, the "6" pattern, are displayed overlapping the center effect pattern 8C that constitutes the adjacent pattern row (Fig. 66 (J)). With this configuration, the enlarged pattern overlaps the pattern that constitutes the adjacent pattern row, making the pattern variation display more innovative and increasing the interest of the game.

[Effect 8]
In the gaming machine 1 of the above embodiment, before the variable display of a plurality of symbol rows is completed, the second state in which adjacent symbols in a specific symbol row overlap is returned to the first state in which adjacent symbols do not overlap (FIGS. 66(E)(K), 67(E)(L), 68(E)(L)). According to this configuration, the symbol overlapping effect is executed during the variable display, so that the variable display of the symbols becomes more innovative, and the interest of the game can be improved.

[Modification]
Below, modified examples of the superimposed design effects are shown.
[Modification 1]
In the above embodiment, the performance is such that all of the multiple symbol rows are difficult to see. In contrast to this, the performance may be such that one or two of the left symbol row composed of the left performance pattern 8L, the middle symbol row composed of the middle performance pattern 8C, and the right symbol row composed of the right performance pattern 8R are difficult to see.

[Modification 2]
In the above embodiment, the effect of making all of the multiple symbol rows difficult to see is performed. However, the effect of making such difficult to see may be omitted. Specifically, the effects of Fig. 66(C)(I), Fig. 67(C)(I), and Fig. 68(C)(I) may be omitted.

[Modification 3]
In the above embodiment, only the "6" symbol is enlarged (FIG. 66(D)(J)), but multiple symbols may be enlarged. In this case, for example, the "6" symbol and the "7" symbol may be enlarged to create an effect in which a double reach is formed.

[Modification 4]
In the above embodiment, a blackout effect is performed (FIG. 66(C)(I)), but a solid display may be used instead of a complete blackout.

[Example of embodiment]
In the gaming machine of this embodiment, the following aspects can be realized.
[Aspect A6-1]
A gaming machine,
The display includes a performance execution means capable of executing a pattern overlap performance in which a plurality of pattern rows are displayed in a variable manner, and a pattern overlap performance is performed in which a pattern arranged before and after a specific pattern row changes from a first state in which the patterns arranged before and after do not overlap to a second state in which the patterns arranged before and after overlap.
A gaming machine characterized by:

[Aspect A6-2]
The gaming machine according to A6-1,
The effect execution means changes the specific symbol sequence to a third state in which it is difficult to visually recognize the specific symbol sequence during the pattern superimposition effect from the first state to the second state.
A gaming machine characterized by:

[Aspect A6-3]
The gaming machine according to aspect A6-2,
The effect execution means brings about the third state by displaying a specific image that overlaps the specific symbol row.
A gaming machine characterized by:

[Aspect A6-4]
A gaming machine according to any one of Aspects A6-1 to A6-3,
The effect execution means executes the symbol superimposition effect by enlarging and displaying at least one symbol constituting the specific symbol string.
A gaming machine characterized by:

[Aspect A6-5]
The gaming machine according to aspect A6-4,
The effect execution means causes a part of the enlarged and displayed pattern to be framed out of the display screen in the pattern superimposition effect.
A gaming machine characterized by:

[Aspect A6-6]
A gaming machine according to any one of Aspects A6-1 to A6-5,
The effect execution means executes the symbol superimposition effect in a state in which the symbols constituting the specific symbol string are stopped and displayed.
A gaming machine characterized by:

[Aspect A6-7]
A gaming machine according to any one of Aspects A6-1 to A6-6,
The effect execution means displays the symbol in the second state in the symbol superimposition effect so as to be superimposed on a symbol constituting a symbol row adjacent to the specific symbol row.
A gaming machine characterized by:

[Aspect A6-8]
A gaming machine according to any one of Aspects A6-1 to A6-7,
The performance execution means returns the symbols in the second state to the first state before the variable display of the plurality of symbol rows is completed.
A gaming machine characterized by:

The following describes the pattern change effects A to F using Figures 69 to 71. These pattern change effects can be executed during a change effect. That is, the image control microcomputer 101 analyzes the change start command received from the sub-control board 90, and if the command to execute a pattern change effect is included, it reads out the corresponding image data from the ROM 103 and displays the image on the display screen 7a of the image display device 7.

Figure 69 is a diagram for explaining performance pattern change performance A and performance pattern change performance B.
[Performance pattern change performance A]
In the performance pattern change performance A, the performance patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R are displayed in a changing manner so that they move downward. The arrangement of the performance patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R on the left, center, and right is the same. When the performance patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R are displayed in a changing manner, the patterns are displayed in ascending order, such as "1" pattern → "2" pattern → "3" pattern → "4" pattern → "5" pattern → "6" pattern → "7" pattern → "1" pattern → ...

Figures 69 (A) to (F) are figures to explain the performance pattern change performance A.
First, as shown in Fig. 69(A), a symbol stop effect is executed. The symbol stop effect is an effect in which all the symbols displayed in multiple rows are stopped. Here, the left symbol 8L stops at a "6" symbol, the middle symbol 8C stops at a "5" symbol, and the right symbol 8R stops at a "4" symbol. In other words, the symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R stop in a losing mode.

Next, as shown in Figure 69 (B), the right pattern expansion effect (first half) is executed. The right pattern expansion effect is an effect in which the right performance pattern is expanded. Here, the right performance pattern 8R, the "4" pattern, is shown being expanded.

Next, as shown in Figure 69 (C), the right symbol enlargement effect (later stage) is executed. Here, the "4" symbol in the right symbol 8R is enlarged to the extent that it is no longer recognizable as a "4". Part of the "4" symbol overlaps with the "5" symbol in the middle symbol 8C. Note that the "5" symbol in the middle symbol 8C and the "6" symbol in the left symbol 8L are recognizable, but the "4" symbol may be enlarged until part of the "4" symbol covers the entire display screen 7a, obscuring the "5" symbol in the middle symbol 8C and the "6" symbol in the left symbol 8L.

Next, as shown in Figure 69 (D), a right pattern change effect is executed. A right pattern change effect is an effect in which the right performance pattern becomes a different performance pattern from the performance pattern before it was enlarged. Here, the right performance pattern 8R is a "6" pattern. There is no particular limit to the timing of when it becomes a "6", but it is thought that after the pattern becomes difficult to recognize due to the enlarged display, it becomes a "6" pattern before the pattern is reduced and becomes easily visible. The "6" pattern of the right performance pattern 8R is gradually reduced. At this time, the center performance pattern 8C, which was stopped, begins to change again.

Next, as shown in FIG. 69(E), a reach formation effect is executed. The reach formation effect is an effect in which the effect symbols stop in a reach state. Here, the reach state is formed by the "6" symbol on the left effect symbol 8L and the reduced "6" symbol on the right effect symbol 8R. In addition, the movement speed of the middle effect symbol 8C slows down, and the "6" symbol on the middle effect symbol 8C approaches the center of the display screen 7a. If it is a jackpot, the "6" symbol on the middle effect symbol 8C stops in the center of the display screen 7a, and if it is a miss, the "6" symbol on the middle effect symbol 8C does not stop in the center of the display screen 7a, but the "7" symbol stops in the center of the display screen 7a. Here, we will continue the explanation assuming that it is a jackpot.

Next, as shown in FIG. 69 (F), a fixed stop effect (jackpot) is executed. A fixed stop effect (jackpot) is an effect in which the effect symbols stop fixedly in the form of a jackpot. Here, the effect symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R on the left, center, and right all stop fixedly at the "6" symbol.

[Performance pattern change performance B]
In the performance pattern change performance B, the performance patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R are displayed in a changing manner so that they move downward. The arrangement of the performance patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R on the left, center, and right is the same. When the performance patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R are displayed in a changing manner, the patterns are displayed in ascending order, such as "1" pattern → "2" pattern → "3" pattern → "4" pattern → "5" pattern → "6" pattern → "7" pattern → "1" pattern → ...

Figures 69 (G) to (L) are figures to explain the performance pattern change performance B.
First, as shown in Fig. 69(G), a symbol stop effect is executed. The symbol stop effect is an effect in which all the symbols displayed in multiple rows are stopped. Here, the left symbol 8L stops at a "6" symbol, the center symbol 8C stops at a "5" symbol, and the right symbol 8R stops at a "6" symbol. In other words, the symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R stop in a reach miss mode.

Next, as shown in Figure 69 (H), the middle symbol expansion effect (first half) is executed. The middle symbol expansion effect is an effect in which the middle symbol is expanded. Here, the "5" symbol, which is middle symbol 8C, is shown being expanded.

Next, as shown in Figure 69 (I), the middle symbol enlargement performance (later stage) is executed. Here, the "5" symbol in the middle performance pattern 8C is enlarged to the extent that it cannot be recognized as a "5." Part of the "5" symbol overlaps with the "6" symbol in the left performance pattern 8L, and part of the "5" symbol overlaps with the "6" symbol in the right performance pattern 8R. This makes it difficult to recognize not only the middle performance pattern 8C, but also the left and right performance patterns 8L and 8R. The "5" symbol may be enlarged until it covers the entire display screen 7a.

Next, as shown in Figure 69 (J), a middle pattern change effect is executed. A middle pattern change effect is an effect in which the middle performance pattern becomes a different performance pattern from the performance pattern before it was enlarged. Here, middle performance pattern 8C is a "6" pattern. There is no particular limit to the timing of when it becomes a "6" pattern, but it is thought that after the pattern becomes difficult to recognize due to the enlarged display, it becomes a "6" pattern before the pattern is reduced and becomes easily visible. The "6" pattern of middle performance pattern 8R is gradually reduced.

Next, as shown in Figure 69 (K), a center symbol shrinking effect is executed. The center symbol shrinking effect is an effect in which the center symbol is reduced in size. Here, the "6" symbol is reduced in size so that it approaches the size of the left and right symbols 8L and 8R. Here, we will continue with the explanation assuming that this is a jackpot.

Next, as shown in FIG. 69 (L), a fixed stop effect (jackpot) is executed. A fixed stop effect (jackpot) is an effect in which the effect symbols stop fixedly in the form of a jackpot. Here, the effect symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R on the left, center, and right all stop fixedly at the "6" symbol.

Figure 70 is a diagram for explaining the performance pattern change performance C and the performance pattern change performance D.
[Performance pattern change performance C]
In the performance pattern change performance C, the performance patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R are displayed in a changing manner so that they move downward. The arrangement of the performance patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R on the left, center, and right is the same. When the performance patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R are displayed in a changing manner, the patterns are displayed in ascending order, such as "1" pattern → "2" pattern → "3" pattern → "4" pattern → "5" pattern → "6" pattern → "7" pattern → "1" pattern → ...

Figures 70 (A) to (F) are figures to explain the performance pattern change performance C.
First, as shown in Fig. 70(A), a symbol stop effect is executed. The symbol stop effect is an effect in which all the symbols displayed in multiple rows are stopped. Here, the left symbol 8L stops at a "6" symbol, the middle symbol 8C stops at a "5" symbol, and the right symbol 8R stops at a "4" symbol. In other words, the symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R stop in a losing mode.

Next, as shown in FIG. 70(B), the right pattern rotation effect (first half) is executed. The right pattern rotation effect is an effect in which the right performance pattern rotates and moves. Here, the right performance pattern 8R, the "4" pattern, is shown rotating and moving clockwise, as indicated by the arrow Y.

Next, as shown in FIG. 70(C), the right symbol rotation effect (later stage) is executed. Here, the "4" symbol of the right symbol effect 8R continues to rotate clockwise as shown by the arrow Y, and is shown just before framing out of the display screen 7a.

Next, as shown in Figure 70 (D), a right pattern change performance is executed. A right pattern change performance is a performance in which the right performance pattern becomes a different performance pattern. Here, the right performance pattern 8R becomes a "6" pattern and is shown framing in on the display screen 7a. The right performance pattern 8R rotates around the display screen 7a as shown by the arrow Y. There is no particular limit to the timing at which it becomes a "6" pattern, but it is thought that it will become a "6" pattern after it frames out and before it frames in. Note that as the "6" pattern frames in, the stopped middle performance pattern 8C begins to change again.

Next, as shown in FIG. 70(E), a reach formation effect is executed. The reach formation effect is an effect in which the effect symbols stop in a reach state. Here, the reach state is formed by the "6" symbol of the left effect symbol 8L and the "6" symbol of the frame-in right effect symbol 8R. In addition, the moving speed of the middle effect symbol 8C slows down, and the "6" symbol of the middle effect symbol 8C approaches the center of the display screen 7a. If it is a jackpot, the "6" symbol of the middle effect symbol 8C stops in the center of the display screen 7a, and if it is a miss, the "6" symbol of the middle effect symbol 8C does not stop in the center of the display screen 7a, but the "7" symbol stops in the center of the display screen 7a. Here, we will continue the explanation assuming that it is a jackpot.

Next, as shown in FIG. 70 (F), a fixed stop effect (jackpot) is executed. A fixed stop effect (jackpot) is an effect in which the effect symbols stop fixedly in the form of a jackpot. Here, the effect symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R on the left, center, and right all stop fixedly at the "6" symbol.

[Performance pattern change performance D]
In the performance pattern change performance D, the performance patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R are displayed in a changing manner so that they move downward. The arrangement of the performance patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R on the left, center, and right is the same. When the performance patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R are displayed in a changing manner, the patterns are displayed in ascending order, such as "1" pattern → "2" pattern → "3" pattern → "4" pattern → "5" pattern → "6" pattern → "7" pattern → "1" pattern → ...

Figures 70 (G) to (L) are figures to explain the performance pattern change performance D.
First, as shown in Fig. 70(G), a symbol stop effect is executed. The symbol stop effect is an effect in which all the symbols displayed in multiple rows are stopped. Here, the left symbol 8L stops at a "6" symbol, the center symbol 8C stops at a "9" symbol, and the right symbol 8R stops at a "6" symbol. In other words, the symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R stop in a reach miss mode.

Next, as shown in Figure 70 (H), the middle symbol expansion and rotation performance (first half) is executed. The middle symbol expansion and rotation performance is a performance in which the middle performance pattern is expanded and then rotated. Here, the "9" pattern, which is middle performance pattern 8C, is shown being expanded.

Next, as shown in FIG. 70(I), the middle symbol enlargement and rotation performance (later stage) is executed. Here, the "9" symbol of the middle performance pattern 8C is enlarged and then rotated clockwise as shown by the arrow Y.

Next, as shown in FIG. 70(J), a middle symbol change effect is executed. A middle symbol change effect is an effect in which the middle symbol changes to a different effect symbol. Here, middle symbol 8C is a "6" symbol.

Next, as shown in Figure 70 (K), a center symbol shrinking effect is executed. The center symbol shrinking effect is an effect in which the center symbol is reduced in size. Here, the "6" symbol is reduced in size so that it approaches the size of the left and right symbols 8L and 8R. Here, we will continue with the explanation assuming that this is a jackpot.

Next, as shown in FIG. 70 (L), a fixed stop effect (jackpot) is executed. A fixed stop effect (jackpot) is an effect in which the effect symbols stop fixedly in the form of a jackpot. Here, the effect symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R on the left, center, and right all stop fixedly at the "6" symbol.

Figure 71 is a diagram to explain the performance pattern change performance E and the performance pattern change performance F.
[Performance pattern change performance E]
In the performance pattern change performance E, the performance patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R are displayed in a variable manner so as to move downward. The arrangement of the performance patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R on the left, center, and right is the same. When the performance patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R are displayed in a variable manner, the patterns are displayed in ascending order, such as "1" pattern → "2" pattern → "3" pattern → "4" pattern → "5" pattern → "6" pattern → "7" pattern → "1" pattern → ... In addition, the performance patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R are composed of identification information 8La, 8Ca, and 8Ra, which are numbers for identifying the patterns, and picture information 8Lb, 8Cb, and 8Rb, which are character images.

Figures 71 (A) to (F) are figures to explain the performance pattern change performance E.
First, as shown in Fig. 71 (A), a symbol stop effect is executed. The symbol stop effect is an effect in which all the symbols displayed in multiple rows are stopped. Here, the left symbol 8L stops at a "9" symbol, the middle symbol 8C stops at a "6" symbol, and the right symbol 8R stops at a "7" symbol. In other words, the symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R stop in a losing mode.

Next, as shown in FIG. 71 (B), the left pattern enlargement effect (first half) is executed. The left pattern enlargement effect is an effect in which the picture information that constitutes the left performance pattern is enlarged and displayed. Here, the picture information 8Lb of the left performance pattern 8L is shown enlarged and displayed. The identification information 8La is hidden by the enlarged display of the picture information 8Lb.

Next, as shown in Figure 71 (C), the left pattern enlargement performance (later stage) is executed. Here, the pattern information 8Lb of the left performance pattern 8L is further enlarged and part of it is shown overlapping with the middle performance pattern 8C. Here again, the identification information 8La is not displayed. Note that the "6" pattern of the middle performance pattern 8C and the "7" pattern of the right performance pattern 8R are in a recognizable state, but the pattern information 8Lb may be enlarged until it covers the entire display screen 7a, and a display may be made in which the "6" pattern of the middle performance pattern 8C and the "7" pattern of the right performance pattern 8R are obscured.

Next, as shown in FIG. 71 (D), a left pattern change effect is executed. A left pattern change effect is an effect in which the picture information constituting the left effect pattern becomes different picture information. Here, the picture information 8Lb of the left effect pattern 8L changes to the same picture information (picture information of an ally character) as the picture information 8Rb of the right effect pattern 8R. There is no particular limitation on the timing at which the picture information 8Lb changes, but it is conceivable that the picture information 8Lb may change after it is enlarged and before it is reduced. In addition, as the picture information 8Lb changes, the center effect pattern 8C, which had been stopped, begins to change again.

Next, as shown in FIG. 71 (E), a reach formation effect is executed. The reach formation effect is an effect in which the effect symbols stop in a reach state. Here, as the picture information 8Lb is displayed in a reduced size, the identification information 8La of the left effect symbol 8L becomes "7", and together with the right effect symbol 8R, a reach state is formed. If it is a jackpot, the "7" symbol of the middle effect symbol 8C stops in the center of the display screen 7a, and if it is a miss, the "7" symbol of the middle effect symbol 8C does not stop in the center of the display screen 7a, but the "8" symbol stops in the center of the display screen 7a. Here, we will continue the explanation assuming that it is a jackpot.

Next, as shown in FIG. 71 (F), a fixed stop effect (jackpot) is executed. A fixed stop effect (jackpot) is an effect in which the effect symbols stop at a fixed jackpot. Here, the effect symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R on the left, center, and right all stop at the fixed "7" symbol.

[Performance pattern change performance F]
In the performance pattern change performance F, the performance patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R are displayed in a changing manner so as to move downward. The arrangement of the performance patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R on the left, center, and right is the same. When the performance patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R are displayed in a changing manner, the patterns are displayed in ascending order, such as "1" pattern → "2" pattern → "3" pattern → "4" pattern → "5" pattern → "6" pattern → "7" pattern → "1" pattern → ... In addition, the performance patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R are composed of identification information 8La, 8Ca, and 8Ra, which are numbers for identifying the patterns, and picture information 8Lb, 8Cb, and 8Rb, which are character images.

Figures 71 (G) to (L) are figures to explain the performance pattern change performance F.
First, as shown in Fig. 71 (G), a symbol stop effect is executed. The symbol stop effect is an effect in which all the symbols displayed in multiple rows are stopped. Here, the left symbol 8L stops at a "6" symbol, the center symbol 8C stops at a "9" symbol, and the right symbol 8R stops at a "6" symbol. In other words, the symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R stop in a reach miss mode.

Next, as shown in Figure 71 (H), the middle symbol enlargement and rotation performance (first half) is executed. The middle symbol enlargement and rotation performance is a performance in which the middle performance symbol is enlarged and then rotated. Here, the "9" which is the identification information 8Ca constituting the middle performance symbol 8C is shown being enlarged. The identification information 8Ca is enlarged and displayed so as to cover the pattern information 8Cb so that the pattern information 8Cb is difficult to see.

Next, as shown in Figure 71 (I), the middle symbol enlargement and rotation performance (later stage) is executed. Here, the "9" of the identification information 8Ca that constitutes the middle performance pattern 8C is enlarged and then rotated clockwise as shown by the arrow Y. At this time, part of the identification information 8Ca overlaps with the left and right performance patterns 8L and 8R.

Next, as shown in FIG. 71(J), a middle symbol change effect is executed. A middle symbol change effect is an effect in which the middle effect symbol becomes a different effect symbol. Here, the identification information 8Ca of the middle effect symbol 8C is "6".

Next, as shown in Figure 71 (K), a center symbol shrinking effect is executed. The center symbol shrinking effect is an effect in which the center symbol is reduced in size. Here, the "6" in the identification information 8Ca is reduced in size until it becomes the same size as the identification information 8La and 8Ra of the left and right performance symbols 8L and 8R. At this time, the display color of the identification information 8Ca is also changed.

Next, as shown in FIG. 71 (L), a fixed stop effect (jackpot) is executed. A fixed stop effect (jackpot) is an effect in which the effect symbols stop fixedly in the form of a jackpot. Here, the effect symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R on the left, center, and right all stop fixedly as "6" symbols. In addition, as the "6" in the identification information 8Ca is reduced, the picture information 8Cb is also changed to picture information of an ally character.

[Example of effect]
Below are some examples of the effects of the design change effects.
[Effect 1]
In the gaming machine 1 of the above embodiment, it is possible to execute a symbol change effect in which the losing symbol, which is a symbol constituting a losing mode, is changed to a different symbol other than the losing symbol (Fig. 69 (D) (J), Fig. 70 (D) (J), Fig. 71 (D) (J)). With this configuration, even after the effect symbol stops in a losing mode, the player can have a sense of expectation for a big win, and the interest of the game can be improved. The effect control microcomputer 91 corresponds to the "effect execution means."

[Effect 2]
In the gaming machine 1 of the above embodiment, at least a part of the losing symbol is enlarged and changed to another effect symbol (FIG. 69(B)(C)(H)(I), FIG. 70(H), FIG. 71(B)(C)(H)(I)). With this configuration, the change in the effect symbol can be emphasized, and the interest of the game can be improved.

[Effect 3]
In the gaming machine 1 of the above embodiment, at least a part of the losing symbol is rotated and changed to another effect symbol (FIGS. 70(B)-(D)(I)(J), 71(I)(J)). With this configuration, the change in the effect symbol can be emphasized, and the interest of the game can be improved.

[Effect 4]
In the gaming machine 1 of the above embodiment, the identification information is "numbers" for identifying multiple symbols as at least a part of the losing symbols (FIGS. 69(B)-(D)(H)-(J), 70(B)-(D)(H)-(J), 71(H)-(J)). This configuration makes it easier to understand the changes in the performance symbols, and can increase the interest in the game.

[Effect 5]
In the gaming machine 1 of the above embodiment, the losing symbol 8C is composed of the identification information 8Ca and the picture information 8Cb, and the identification information 8Ca is changed, and the picture information 8Cb is changed according to the change in the identification information 8Ca (FIG. 71 (G) to (L)). With this configuration, the change in the performance symbol becomes novel, and the interest of the game can be improved.

[Effect 6]
In the gaming machine 1 of the above embodiment, the specific losing symbol is made difficult to see, and then the specific losing symbol is changed to a different effect symbol as the losing symbol is changed to an easily visible state (FIGS. 69(C)(D)(I)(J), 70(C)(D)). With this configuration, the change in the effect symbol can give a surprise to the player, and the interest of the game can be improved.

[Effect 7]
In the gaming machine 1 of the above embodiment, a reach mode or a winning mode is formed by changing a losing symbol to another performance symbol. With this configuration, the change in the performance symbol can give a surprise to the player, and the interest of the game can be improved.

[Effect 8]
In the gaming machine 1 of the above embodiment, after the effect symbols are stopped and displayed, the losing symbols are changed to another effect symbol. With this configuration, the change in the effect symbols can surprise the player, thereby increasing the interest of the game.

[Modification]
Below are some modified examples of the pattern change presentation.
[Modification 1]
In the above embodiment, at least a part of the performance symbols is enlarged or rotated to make the losing symbols difficult to see. Alternatively, a different image may be displayed or a role object may be moved to make the losing symbols difficult to see.

[Modification 2]
In the above embodiment, the "9" symbol is rotated on the display screen 7a (Figures 70(H) to (J), 71(H) to (J)), but it may be enlarged so that it is difficult to recognize that it is a "9" symbol.

[Modification 3]
In the above embodiment, the identification information "9" is rotated to change to identification information "6" (FIGS. 70(H)-(J), 71(H)-(J)). In this case, the "9" may be rotated 180 degrees to become a figure that completely overlaps with the "6", or the "9" may be rotated 180 degrees to become a figure that does not completely overlap. In the latter case, the rotated and displayed "9" is switched to "6" at a certain timing. Alternatively, in the latter case, the "6" symbol may be rotated 180 degrees from the beginning and displayed to look like a "9".

[Modification 4]
In the above embodiment, in Fig. 71(J)(K), the display color is changed after the "9" which is the identification information 8Ca of the middle performance pattern 8C is completely rotated, but the display color may be changed in the middle of the rotation performance in Fig. 71(J). Also, the display color may be changed according to the change in the pattern information 8Cb in Fig. 71(L).

[Modification 5]
In the above embodiment, when the effect symbols are rotated, the direction perpendicular to the display screen 7a is used as the rotation axis. In contrast, the effect symbols may be rotated with the direction parallel to the display screen 7a as the rotation axis.

[Modification 6]
In the above embodiment, the number "9" is rotated to become "6", but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the number "4" may be rotated and changed to "5" midway through the process.

[Modification 7]
In the above embodiment, the pattern change performance is performed only once. In contrast, the pattern change performance may be performed multiple times. For example, the pattern change performance may be performed multiple times to finally change a losing pattern to a reach pattern or a winning pattern. Also, for example, the pattern change performance may be performed multiple times to change a losing pattern to a reach pattern, and then stop the losing pattern in a reach-miss mode, and change the losing pattern stopped in the reach-miss mode to a winning pattern.

[Example of embodiment]
In the gaming machine of this embodiment, the following aspects can be realized.
[Aspect A7-1]
A gaming machine that displays a varying pattern and notifies the winner of a lottery based on the stopping state of the pattern,
A performance execution means for executing a pattern change performance in which a losing pattern, which is a pattern constituting a losing mode as the stop mode, is changed to another pattern other than the losing pattern,
A gaming machine characterized by:

[Aspect A7-2]
The gaming machine according to Aspect A7-1,
The effect execution means enlarges and displays at least a part of the losing symbol in the symbol change effect, and changes the losing symbol to the different symbol.
A gaming machine characterized by:

[Aspect A7-3]
A gaming machine according to aspect A7-1 or A7-2,
The effect execution means rotates and displays at least a part of the losing symbol in the symbol change effect to change it to the different symbol.
A gaming machine characterized by:

[Aspect A7-4]
A gaming machine according to aspect A7-2 or A7-3,
At least a part of the losing symbols is identification information for identifying a plurality of symbols.
A gaming machine characterized by:

[Aspect A7-5]
The gaming machine according to aspect A7-4,
The losing symbol is composed of the identification information and picture information,
The effect execution means changes the identification information in the pattern change effect, and changes the picture information in accordance with the change in the identification information.
A gaming machine characterized by:

[Aspect A7-6]
A gaming machine according to any one of Aspects A7-1 to A7-5,
The performance execution means changes the specific losing symbol to a state where it is difficult to see in the symbol change performance, and then changes the specific losing symbol to a state where it is easily seen, thereby changing the losing symbol to the different symbol.
A gaming machine characterized by:

[Aspect A7-7]
A gaming machine according to any one of Aspects A7-1 to A7-6,
The other symbol is a winning symbol which constitutes a winning mode, or a reach symbol which constitutes a reach mode.
A gaming machine characterized by:

[Aspect A7-8]
A gaming machine according to any one of Aspects A7-1 to A7-7,
The effect execution means executes the symbol change effect after the symbol change stops.
A gaming machine characterized by:

The pattern position change effects A to C are explained below using Figures 72 to 74. These pattern position change effects are executed during the decorative pattern variation effect, etc. In other words, the image control microcomputer 101 analyzes the command received from the sub-control board 90, and if it contains an instruction to execute a pattern position change effect, it reads out the corresponding image data from the ROM 103 and displays the image on the display screen 7a of the image display device 7 and the sub-display screen 64 (right sub-display screen 64R, left sub-display screen 64L, and upper sub-display screen 64U).

[Pattern Posture Change Presentation A]
Fig. 72 is a diagram for explaining the pattern position change performance A. The pattern position change performance is a performance in which the decorative pattern tilts in a first direction when the decorative pattern temporarily stops after changing, or after the decorative pattern temporarily stops, and then returns to its original position. Fig. 72 (A) to (G) are performances executed in response to the first special pattern change, and Fig. 72 (H) to (N) are performances executed in response to the next second special pattern change.

First, as shown in FIG. 72(A), decorative patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R and a character image holding a flat board (tray) are displayed on the display screen 7a. Here, the hold icon 9A and the variable icon (the hold icon in question) 9C are not displayed, but they may be displayed. The character image is an image of a human being displayed at the bottom of the display screen 7a, and is shown holding a large tray over his head with both arms. Here, the tray is represented as a horizontally long rectangular image.

The decorative patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R are a set of patterns including a left decorative pattern 8L, a middle decorative pattern 8C, and a right decorative pattern 8R. The variable display of the set of patterns represents the variable display of the special pattern (special pattern variation), and the stationary display of the set of patterns notifies the result of the special pattern lottery. The special pattern here may be either the first special pattern or the second special pattern. The arrangement of the left decorative pattern 8L, the middle decorative pattern 8C, and the right decorative pattern 8R is arranged in the order of "987654321" from top to bottom on the display screen 7a. After the decorative patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R start to display variations corresponding to the current special pattern variation (the variation), first, as shown in FIG. 72(A), the "6" of the left decorative pattern 8L temporarily stops on the tray.

After that, as shown in FIG. 72(B), the "5" of the right decorative pattern 8R temporarily stops on the tray. After that, as shown in FIG. 72(C), the "3" of the center decorative pattern 8C temporarily stops on the tray. As a result, the left decorative pattern 8L, the center decorative pattern 8C, and the right decorative pattern 8R temporarily stop side by side on the tray in a losing mode of "635". Here, a game presentation is started in which the decorative patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R temporarily stopped on the tray are not dropped from the tray twice consecutively at the time of the current change and the next change, resulting in a winning result. Whether or not the next change will result in a winning result is determined by looking ahead. In other words, if the next change will result in a winning result based on looking ahead, a presentation is executed in which the game of the current change is successful and the game is also successful in the next change. There are also cases in which a game presentation is executed in the current change even if the next change does not result in a winning result. In this case, a presentation is executed in which the game fails in the current change or the next change. In other words, a failure effect is executed in which the decorative patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R that are temporarily stopped on the tray fall off the tray.

As shown in Figure 72 (D), as the tray being held by the person tilts to the right, the left decorative pattern 8L, the middle decorative pattern 8C, and the right decorative pattern 8R, which are temporarily stopped on the tray, move to the right and each tilt to the right. Then, as shown in Figure 72 (E), as the tray returns to its original tilt, the left decorative pattern 8L, the middle decorative pattern 8C, and the right decorative pattern 8R, which had moved to the right and were tilted to the right, return to their original positions.

After that, as shown in Figure 72 (F), the tray being held by the person tilts to the left, causing the left decorative pattern 8L, middle decorative pattern 8C, and right decorative pattern 8R, which are temporarily stopped on the tray, to move leftward and tilt to the left. After that, as shown in Figure 72 (G), the tray returns to its original tilt, causing the left decorative pattern 8L, middle decorative pattern 8C, and right decorative pattern 8R, which had moved leftward and tilted to the left, to return to their original positions.

After that, as shown in Figure 72 (G), the left decorative pattern 8L, the middle decorative pattern 8C, and the right decorative pattern 8R are fixed and stopped in a horizontal line on the tray in the losing pattern of "635". At this time, a text image of "1st time successful!!" is displayed. This suggests that the game (1st time) of that variation was successful. This game presentation is also executed in the next variation, and if successful, it will be a win. After that, the varying display of the decorative patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R corresponding to the next special chart lottery begins.

After that, as shown in FIG. 72(H), the "3" in the left decorative pattern 8L temporarily stops on the tray. After that, the "4" in the right decorative pattern 8R temporarily stops on the tray, and then, as shown in FIG. 72(I), the "1" in the center decorative pattern 8C temporarily stops on the tray. As a result, the left decorative pattern 8L, center decorative pattern 8C, and right decorative pattern 8R temporarily stop side-by-side on the tray in a losing pattern of "314". Then, the second performance of the game begins, in which a winning combination occurs if the decorative patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R that are temporarily stopped on the tray are not dropped twice in a row.

As shown in FIG. 72(J), the tray being held by the person is tilted significantly to the right, causing the left decorative pattern 8L, the middle decorative pattern 8C, and the right decorative pattern 8R, which are temporarily stopped on the tray, to move significantly to the right and tilt significantly to the right, creating an effect in which they each move significantly to the right. In the second game, they move and tilt significantly more than in the first game. Specifically, in FIG. 72(J), the left decorative pattern 8L, the middle decorative pattern 8C, and the right decorative pattern 8R move significantly to the right and tilt significantly to the right, and as shown in FIG. 72(D), the tray then returns to its original tilt, causing the left decorative pattern 8L, the middle decorative pattern 8C, and the right decorative pattern 8R, which moved significantly to the right and tilted significantly to the right, to return to their original positions and postures.

After that, as shown in FIG. 72(L), the tray being held by the person tilts significantly to the left, causing the left decorative pattern 8L, the middle decorative pattern 8C, and the right decorative pattern 8R, which are temporarily stopped on the tray, to move significantly to the left and tilt significantly to the left, respectively. As described above, in the second game, the patterns move and tilt more significantly than in the first game. Specifically, in FIG. 72(L), the left decorative pattern 8L, the middle decorative pattern 8C, and the right decorative pattern 8R move more significantly to the left and tilt more significantly to the left than in FIG. 72(F). After that, as shown in FIG. 72(M), the tray returns to its original tilt, causing the left decorative pattern 8L, the middle decorative pattern 8C, and the right decorative pattern 8R, which had moved significantly to the left and tilted significantly to the left, to return to their original positions.

After that, as shown in FIG. 72(M), the left decorative pattern 8L, the middle decorative pattern 8C, and the right decorative pattern 8R temporarily stop side by side on the tray in a losing pattern of "314". At this time, a text image of "Second time successful!!" is displayed. This suggests that the game of that variation (second time) was successful. After that, as shown in FIG. 72(N), the left decorative pattern 8L, the middle decorative pattern 8C, and the right decorative pattern 8R switch to a winning pattern of "333" and stop for a definite result. In addition, a text image of "Jackpot!!" is displayed, and a "333" jackpot is announced.

[Pattern Posture Change Presentation B]
Fig. 73 is a diagram for explaining the pattern position change performance B. The pattern position change performance is a performance in which the decorative pattern tilts in a first direction when the decorative pattern temporarily stops after changing, or after the decorative pattern temporarily stops, and then returns to its original position. Fig. 73 (A) to (H) are performances executed in response to the first special pattern change, and Fig. 73 (I) to (N) are performances executed in response to the next second special pattern change.

First, as shown in FIG. 73(A), decorative patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R, and character image A holding a flat board (tray) are displayed on display screen 7a. Here, of decorative patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R, only the left decorative pattern 8L is displayed at a decelerated speed and can be seen, while the middle decorative pattern 8C and the right decorative pattern 8R are displayed at a high speed and are difficult to see. Character image A is an image of a human being displayed on the lower left of display screen 7a, and is shown holding a tray above his head with both arms. Character image A has the letter "A" displayed on its face. Here, the tray is represented as a horizontally long rectangular image. Note that pending icon 9A and variable icon (relevant pending icon) 9C are not displayed, but may be displayed.

The decorative patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R are a set of patterns including a left decorative pattern 8L, a middle decorative pattern 8C, and a right decorative pattern 8R. The variable display of the set of patterns represents the variable display of the special pattern (special pattern variation), and the stationary display of the set of patterns notifies the result of the special pattern lottery. The special pattern here may be either the first special pattern or the second special pattern. The left decorative pattern 8L, the middle decorative pattern 8C, and the right decorative pattern 8R are displayed from the top to the bottom of the display screen 7a, respectively, and are displayed vertically side by side and move so that two or more patterns are visible at the same time on the display screen 7a during deceleration variation. Here, the pattern arrangement of the left decorative pattern 8L, the middle decorative pattern 8C, and the right decorative pattern 8R is arranged from the top to the bottom of the display screen 7a in the order of "987654321".

After the decorative patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R start to display a high-speed change in response to the current special pattern change (the change), as shown in FIG. 73(A), the left decorative pattern 8L first decelerates and is displayed in a decelerating change from top to bottom. The decelerating change here means that the contents of the patterns included in the vertical pattern arrangement of the left decorative pattern 8L move at a speed that is visible. The middle decorative pattern 8C and the right decorative pattern 8R are displayed in a high-speed change and are difficult to see. The high-speed change means that the contents of the patterns included in the vertical pattern arrangement of the middle decorative pattern 8C and the right decorative pattern 8R move at a speed that is difficult to see. In this case, a vertical line image accompanying the high-speed movement may be displayed. Here, the image on the vertical line is not displayed and nothing is displayed. In accordance with the decelerating change display of the left decorative pattern 8L, the A character image pops out from the bottom to the top of the display screen 7a.

After that, as shown in FIG. 73(B), the "6" of the left decorative pattern 8L temporarily stops on the tray. At this time, the "7" of the left decorative pattern 8L also temporarily stops above the "6". That is, two patterns are displayed simultaneously in the pattern row that makes up the left decorative pattern 8L. In this way, here, two patterns are displayed simultaneously in the same pattern row at the time of temporary stop. After that, the right decorative pattern 8R decelerates and is displayed with a decelerating fluctuation from top to bottom. At the same time, a C character image pops out upward from the bottom of the display screen 7a. The C character image is an image of a human being displayed in the lower right of the display screen 7a, and is shown holding a tray over his head with both arms. The C character image has the letter "C" displayed on its face.

After that, as shown in Figure 73 (C), the "5" of the right decorative pattern 8R comes to a temporary stop on the tray. At this time, the "6" of the right decorative pattern 8R also comes to a temporary stop above the "5". After that, the middle decorative pattern 8C decelerates and is displayed as a decelerating fluctuation from top to bottom. At the same time, a B character image pops up from the bottom of the display screen 7a. The B character image is an image of a human being displayed in the lower center of the display screen 7a, and is shown holding a tray over his head with both arms. The B character image has the letter "B" displayed on its face.

After that, as shown in FIG. 73(D), the "3" of the middle decorative pattern 8C is temporarily stopped on the tray. At this time, the "4" of the middle decorative pattern 8R is also temporarily stopped above the "3". As a result, the left decorative pattern 8L, the middle decorative pattern 8C, and the right decorative pattern 8R are temporarily stopped in a state where they are lined up horizontally on the tray in a losing form of "635". The left decorative pattern 8L, the middle decorative pattern 8C, and the right decorative pattern 8R are also temporarily stopped in a state where they are lined up horizontally in a losing form of "746" above "635". Here, a game performance is started in which the decorative patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R temporarily stopped on the tray are not dropped from the tray twice in a row at the time of the change and the next change, resulting in a winning game. Whether or not the next change will result in a winning game is determined by looking ahead. In other words, if the next change will result in a winning game by looking ahead, the game of the change will be successful, and the game will also be successful in the next change. Even if the next variation does not result in a win, a game presentation may be executed for that variation. In this case, a presentation that results in a failure in the game for that variation or the next variation is executed. In other words, a failure presentation is executed in which the decorative patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R that are temporarily stopped on the tray are dropped from the tray.

As shown in FIG. 73(E), the A character image and the C character image move to the right, and the supporting tray tilts to the right, causing the left decorative pattern 8L and the right decorative pattern 8R, which are temporarily stopped on the tray, to move to the right and tilt to the right. At the same time, the B character image moves to the left, and the supporting tray tilts to the left, causing the middle decorative pattern 8C, which is temporarily stopped on the tray, to move to the left and tilt to the left. After that, as shown in FIG. 73(F), the tilt and position of the tray of the A to C character images return to their original position, causing the left decorative pattern 8L, which had moved to the right and tilted to the right, and the right decorative pattern 8R to return to their original positions. Also, the middle decorative pattern 8C, which had moved to the left and tilted to the left, returns to its original position and position.

After that, as shown in FIG. 73(G), the A character image and the C character image move leftward, and the supporting tray tilts to the left, causing the left decorative pattern 8L and the right decorative pattern 8R, which are temporarily stopped on the tray, to move leftward and tilt leftward. At the same time, the B character image moves rightward, and the supporting tray tilts to the right, causing the middle decorative pattern 8C, which is temporarily stopped on the tray, to move rightward and tilt rightward. After that, as shown in FIG. 73(H), the tilt and position of the tray of the A to C character images return to their original position, causing the left decorative pattern 8L, which had moved leftward and tilted leftward, and the right decorative pattern 8R to return to their original positions. Also, the middle decorative pattern 8C, which had moved rightward and tilted rightward, returns to its original position.

After that, as shown in FIG. 73(H), the left decorative pattern 8L, the middle decorative pattern 8C, and the right decorative pattern 8R are fixed and stopped in a horizontal line on the tray in the losing form of "635". In addition, "746" is also fixed and stopped above "635". At this time, a text image of "1st time successful!!" is displayed. This suggests that the game (1st time) of that variation was successful. This game presentation is also executed in the next variation, and if successful, it will be a win. After that, the variable display of decorative patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R corresponding to the next special chart lottery begins.

As shown in Figure 73 (I), the left decorative pattern 8L, the middle decorative pattern 8C, and the right decorative pattern 8R fluctuate at high speed, and then are displayed fluctuating at a decelerated rate from top to bottom above the A to C character images. After that, the left decorative pattern 8L, the middle decorative pattern 8C, and the right decorative pattern 8R temporarily stop in a state where they are lined up side by side on the tray in a missing pattern of "314". The left decorative pattern 8L, the middle decorative pattern 8C, and the right decorative pattern 8R also temporarily stop in a state where they are lined up side by side above "314" in a missing pattern of "425".

As shown in FIG. 73(J), the A character image and the C character image move significantly to the right, and the supporting tray tilts significantly to the right, causing the left decorative pattern 8L and the right decorative pattern 8R, which are temporarily stopped on the tray, to move significantly to the right and tilt significantly to the right. At the same time, the B character image moves significantly to the left, and the supporting tray tilts significantly to the left, causing the middle decorative pattern 8C, which is temporarily stopped on the tray, to move significantly to the left and tilt significantly to the left. In the second game, the image moves and tilts significantly more than in the first game. Specifically, in FIG. 73(J), the left decorative pattern 8L and the right decorative pattern 8R move significantly to the right and tilt significantly to the right, compared to FIG. 73(E). In addition, the middle decorative pattern 8C moves significantly to the left and tilts significantly to the left. After that, as shown in FIG. 73(K), the tilt and position of the trays of the A-C character images return to their original positions, so that the left decorative pattern 8L and the right decorative pattern 8R, which had moved significantly to the right and tilted significantly to the right, return to their original positions. Also, the center decorative pattern 8C, which had moved significantly to the left and tilted significantly to the left, returns to its original position and position.

As shown in FIG. 73(L), the A character image and the C character image move significantly to the left, and the supporting tray tilts significantly to the left, so that the left decorative pattern 8L and the right decorative pattern 8R, which are temporarily stopped on the tray, move significantly to the left and tilt significantly to the left. At the same time, the B character image moves significantly to the right, and the supporting tray tilts significantly to the right, so that the middle decorative pattern 8C, which is temporarily stopped on the tray, moves significantly to the right and tilts significantly to the right. As described above, in the second game, the movement and tilt are greater than in the first game. Specifically, in FIG. 73(L), the left decorative pattern 8L and the right decorative pattern 8R move significantly to the left and tilt significantly to the left compared to FIG. 73(F). Also, the middle decorative pattern 8C moves significantly to the right and tilts significantly to the right. After that, as shown in FIG. 73(M), the tilt and position of the trays of the A-C character images return to their original positions, so that the left decorative pattern 8L and the right decorative pattern 8R, which had moved significantly to the left and tilted significantly to the left, return to their original positions. Also, the center decorative pattern 8C, which had moved significantly to the right and tilted significantly to the right, returns to its original position and orientation.

After that, as shown in FIG. 73(M), the left decorative pattern 8L, the middle decorative pattern 8C, and the right decorative pattern 8R are temporarily stopped in a state where they are lined up side by side on the tray in the losing pattern of "314" and "425". At this time, a text image of "2nd time successful!!" is displayed. This suggests that the game of that variation (the second time) was successful. After that, as shown in FIG. 73(N), the left decorative pattern 8L, the middle decorative pattern 8C, and the right decorative pattern 8R switch to the winning pattern of "555" and are fixedly stopped. In addition, a text image of "Jackpot!!" is displayed, and a "555" jackpot is announced.

[Pattern Posture Change Presentation C]
Fig. 74 is a diagram for explaining the pattern position change performance C. The pattern position change performance is a performance in which the decorative pattern tilts in a first direction when the decorative pattern temporarily stops after changing, or after the decorative pattern temporarily stops, and then returns to its original position. Fig. 74 (A) to (G) are performances executed in response to the first special pattern change, and Fig. 74 (H) to (N) are performances executed in response to the next second special pattern change.

First, as shown in FIG. 74(A), character images A, B, and C are displayed on the display screen 7a, each of which is holding a flat board (tray) and decorative patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R. Here, the tray is displayed as a horizontally long rectangular image. Decorative patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R are displayed in a high-speed changing manner. Character image A is an image of a person displayed on the lower left of display screen 7a, and is shown holding a tray over his head with both arms. Character image A has the letter "A" displayed on its face. Character image B is an image of a person displayed on the lower center of display screen 7a, and is shown holding a tray over his head with both arms. Character image B has the letter "B" displayed on its face. Character image C is an image of a person displayed on the lower right of display screen 7a, and is shown holding a tray over his head with both arms. Character image C has the letter "C" displayed on its face. Note that the hold icon 9A and the variable icon (the hold icon in question) 9C are not displayed, but they may be displayed.

The decorative patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R are a set of patterns including a left decorative pattern 8L, a middle decorative pattern 8C, and a right decorative pattern 8R. The variable display of the set of patterns represents the variable display of the special pattern (special pattern variation), and the stationary display of the set of patterns notifies the result of the special pattern lottery. The special pattern here may be either the first special pattern or the second special pattern. The left decorative pattern 8L, the middle decorative pattern 8C, and the right decorative pattern 8R are displayed from the top to the bottom of the display screen 7a, respectively, and are displayed vertically side by side and move so that two or more patterns are visible at the same time on the display screen 7a during deceleration variation. Here, the pattern arrangement of the left decorative pattern 8L, the middle decorative pattern 8C, and the right decorative pattern 8R is arranged from the top to the bottom of the display screen 7a in the order of "987654321".

As shown in FIG. 74(A), the decorative patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R start to display a high-speed change in response to the current special pattern change (the change), and then, as shown in FIG. 74(B), they are displayed with a decelerating change from top to bottom. The decelerating change here means that the contents of the patterns included in the vertical pattern arrangement of the left decorative pattern 8L, the middle decorative pattern 8C, and the right decorative pattern 8R move at a speed at which they are visible. On the other hand, the high-speed change means that the contents of the patterns included in the vertical pattern arrangement of the left decorative pattern 8L, the middle decorative pattern 8C, and the right decorative pattern 8R move at a speed at which they are difficult to see. In this case, a vertical line-shaped image may be displayed in association with the high-speed movement. Here, an image on a vertical line is displayed.

After that, a game presentation is started in which a winning combination occurs if the decorative symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R displayed on the tray in a decelerating manner are not dropped from the tray twice in a row, during the current variation and the next variation. Whether or not there will be a winning combination in the next variation is determined by looking ahead. In other words, if there is a winning combination in the next variation based on looking ahead, a presentation is executed in which the game of the current variation is successful, and the game is also successful in the next variation. There are also cases in which a game presentation is executed for the current variation even if there is no winning combination in the next variation. In this case, a presentation is executed in which the game of the current variation or the next variation fails. In other words, a failure presentation is executed in which the decorative symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R displayed on the tray in a decelerating manner are dropped from the tray.

As shown in FIG. 74(C), the A character image and the C character image move to the right, and the supporting tray tilts to the right, causing the left decorative pattern 8L and the right decorative pattern 8R, which are displayed with deceleration on the tray, to move to the right and tilt to the right. At the same time, the B character image moves to the left, and the supporting tray tilts to the left, causing the middle decorative pattern 8C, which is displayed with deceleration on the tray, to move to the left and tilt to the left. After that, as shown in FIG. 74(D), the tilt and position of the tray of the A to C character images return to their original positions, causing the left decorative pattern 8L and the right decorative pattern 8R, which had moved to the right and tilted to the right, to return to their original positions. Also, the middle decorative pattern 8C, which had moved to the left and tilted to the left, returns to its original position and position.

After that, as shown in FIG. 74(E), the A character image and the C character image move leftward, and the supporting tray tilts to the left, causing the left decorative pattern 8L and the right decorative pattern 8R, which are displayed as decelerating and varying on the tray, to move leftward and tilt leftward, respectively. At the same time, the B character image moves rightward, and the supporting tray tilts to the rightward, causing the middle decorative pattern 8C, which is displayed as decelerating and varying on the tray, to move rightward and tilt rightward. After that, as shown in FIG. 74(F), the tilt and position of the tray of the A to C character images return to their original positions, causing the left decorative pattern 8L, which had moved leftward and tilted leftward, and the right decorative pattern 8R to return to their original positions. Also, the middle decorative pattern 8C, which had moved rightward and tilted rightward, returns to its original position and orientation.

After that, the left decorative pattern 8L, the right decorative pattern 8R, and the center decorative pattern 8C temporarily stop in order. Specifically, first, the "6" of the left decorative pattern 8L temporarily stops on the tray. At this time, the "7" of the left decorative pattern 8L also temporarily stops above the "6". After that, the "5" of the right decorative pattern 8R temporarily stops on the tray. At this time, the "6" of the right decorative pattern 8R also temporarily stops above the "5". After that, the "3" of the center decorative pattern 8C temporarily stops on the tray. At this time, the "4" of the center decorative pattern 8R also temporarily stops above the "3". As a result, the left decorative pattern 8L, the center decorative pattern 8C, and the right decorative pattern 8R temporarily stop side by side on the tray in the losing mode of "635". Additionally, the left decorative pattern 8L, the middle decorative pattern 8C, and the right decorative pattern 8R temporarily stop with the losing pattern of "746" lined up horizontally above "635".

After that, as shown in FIG. 74(G), the left decorative pattern 8L, the middle decorative pattern 8C, and the right decorative pattern 8R are fixed and stopped in a state where they are lined up side by side on the tray in the losing form of "635". Also, "746" is fixed and stopped above "635". In other words, here, two patterns are displayed simultaneously in the same pattern row at the time of the provisional stop. At this time, a text image of "1st time success!!" is displayed. This suggests that the game (1st time) of that variation was successful. This game presentation is also executed in the next variation, and if it is successful, it will be a win. After that, the variable display of decorative patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R corresponding to the next special chart lottery begins.

As shown in FIG. 74 (H), after the left decorative pattern 8L, the center decorative pattern 8C, and the right decorative pattern 8R change at high speed, they are displayed decelerating and changing from top to bottom above the A to C character images, respectively.

As shown in FIG. 74(I), the A character image and the C character image move significantly to the right, and the supporting tray tilts significantly to the right, causing the left decorative pattern 8L and the right decorative pattern 8R, which are displayed with a deceleration change on the tray, to move significantly to the right and tilt significantly to the right. At the same time, the B character image moves significantly to the left, and the supporting tray tilts significantly to the left, causing the middle decorative pattern 8C, which is displayed with a deceleration change on the tray, to move significantly to the left and tilt significantly to the left. In the second game, the image moves and tilts significantly more than in the first game. Specifically, in FIG. 74(I), the left decorative pattern 8L and the right decorative pattern 8R move significantly to the right and tilt significantly to the right, compared to FIG. 74(C). In addition, the middle decorative pattern 8C moves significantly to the left and tilts significantly to the left. After that, as shown in Figure 74 (J), the tilt and position of the trays of the A-C character images return to their original positions, so that the left decorative pattern 8L and the right decorative pattern 8R, which had moved significantly to the right and tilted significantly to the right, return to their original positions. Also, the center decorative pattern 8C, which had moved significantly to the left and tilted significantly to the left, returns to its original position and position.

As shown in FIG. 74(K), the A character image and the C character image move significantly to the left, and the supporting tray tilts significantly to the left, so that the left decorative pattern 8L and the right decorative pattern 8R displayed on the tray with deceleration movement move significantly to the left, and each of them tilt significantly to the left. At the same time, the B character image moves significantly to the right, and the supporting tray tilts significantly to the right, so that the middle decorative pattern 8C displayed on the tray with deceleration movement moves significantly to the right, and they tilt significantly to the right. As described above, in the second game, the movement and tilt are greater than in the first game. Specifically, in FIG. 74(K), the left decorative pattern 8L and the right decorative pattern 8R move significantly to the left, and tilt significantly to the left, compared to FIG. 74(E). Also, the middle decorative pattern 8C moves significantly to the right, and tilts significantly to the right. After that, as shown in FIG. 74(M), the tilt and position of the trays of the A-C character images return to their original positions, so that the left decorative pattern 8L and the right decorative pattern 8R, which had moved significantly to the left and tilted significantly to the left, return to their original positions. Also, the center decorative pattern 8C, which had moved significantly to the right and tilted significantly to the right, returns to its original position and orientation.

After that, as shown in FIG. 74(M), the left decorative pattern 8L, the middle decorative pattern 8C, and the right decorative pattern 8R are temporarily stopped in a state where they are lined up side by side on the tray in the losing pattern of "314" and "425". At this time, a text image of "2nd time successful!!" is displayed. This suggests that the game of that variation (2nd time) was successful. After that, as shown in FIG. 74(M), the left decorative pattern 8L, the middle decorative pattern 8C, and the right decorative pattern 8R switch to the winning pattern of "555" and are fixedly stopped. In addition, a text image of "Jackpot!!" is displayed, and a "555" jackpot is announced.

[Example of effect]
Below are some examples of the effects of the pattern posture change presentation.
[Effect 1]
In the gaming machine 1 of the above embodiment, as shown in Figures 72 to 74, the left and right decorative symbols 8L, 8R can execute a first effect in which the left and right decorative symbols 8L, 8R tilt to the right when they temporarily stop after fluctuating (Figure 74) or after they temporarily stop (Figures 72 and 73), and then return to their original position. With this configuration, a novel effect that has never been seen before can be visually entertaining to the player, and can increase the player's interest.
[Effect 2]
In the gaming machine 1 of the above embodiment, as shown in Figures 72 to 74, after the first performance, the left and right decorative symbols 8L and 8R can tilt to the left and then return to their original positions in the second performance. With this configuration, a novel performance that has never been seen before can be visually entertaining to the player, and the player's interest can be enhanced.
[Effect 3]
In the gaming machine 1 of the above embodiment, in the first performance, when the left and right decorative symbols 8L and 8R, which are part of a set of decorative symbols that notify winning or losing, tilt to the right, the center decorative symbol 8C, which is the other part of the set of decorative symbols, tilts to the left, as shown in Figures 73 and 74. With this configuration, a novel performance that has never been seen before can visually entertain the player, and can increase the player's interest.
[Effect 4]
In the gaming machine 1 of the above embodiment, when the left and right decorative symbols 8L and 8R, which are part of the decorative symbols, tilt leftward in the second effect, the center decorative symbol 8C, which is another decorative symbol, tilts rightward, as shown in Figures 73 and 74. With this configuration, the player can be visually entertained by the unprecedented novel effect, and the interest can be enhanced.
[Effect 5]
In the gaming machine 1 of the above embodiment, as shown in Figures 72 to 74, in the first performance, when the left and right decorative symbols 8L and 8R tilt to the right, they move to the right together, and when they return to their original positions, they move back to their original positions together. With this configuration, a novel performance that has never been seen before can visually entertain the player, and can increase the player's interest.
[Effect 6]
In the gaming machine 1 of the above embodiment, in the first effect, a plurality of decorative symbols in the same symbol row are tilted in the first direction as shown in Figures 73 and 74. With this configuration, a novel effect not seen in the past can visually entertain the player, and can increase the interest of the player.
[Effect 7]
In the gaming machine 1 of the above embodiment, as shown in Figures 72 to 74, when the left and right decorative symbols 8L, 8R temporarily stop after the first effect is executed, or after the left and right decorative symbols 8L, 8R temporarily stop, the left and right decorative symbols 8L, 8R tilt to the right and then return to their original positions in a third effect, in which the left and right decorative symbols 8L, 8R tilt to the right more than in the first effect. With this configuration, a novel effect that has never been seen before can be visually entertaining to the player, and the player's interest can be improved.

[Modification]
Below, modified examples of the pattern posture change presentation are shown.
[Modification 1]
In the pattern position change performances A and B, a performance is executed in which the position of the pattern tilts to the left and right after the decorative patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R temporarily stop. However, a performance in which the position of the pattern tilts to the left and right may be executed at the same time as the decorative patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R temporarily stop. Also, in the pattern position change performance C, a performance in which the position of the pattern tilts to the left and right is executed before the decorative patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R temporarily stop. However, a performance in which the position of the pattern tilts to the left and right may be executed at the same time as the decorative patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R temporarily stop.

[Modification 2]
In the pattern position change performances A and B, a performance is executed in which the positions of the patterns are tilted to the left and right after all of the decorative patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R are temporarily stopped. However, a performance may be executed in which all of the decorative patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R are tilted to the left and right while some of the decorative patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R are temporarily stopped and the other patterns are changing. In the pattern position change performance C, a performance is executed in which the positions of the patterns are tilted to the left and right while all of the decorative patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R are changing. However, a performance may be executed in which all of the decorative patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R are tilted to the left and right while some of the decorative patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R are changing and the other patterns are temporarily stopped.

[Modification 3]
In the symbol position change effects A and B, the decorative symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R are all temporarily stopped, and then an effect is executed in which the positions of the symbols tilt to the left and right. However, the decorative symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R may all be tilted to the left and right after the decorative symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R are fixedly stopped.

[Modification 4]
In the symbol position change performances B and C, the decorative symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R are temporarily stopped with two symbols displayed vertically. However, the decorative symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R may be temporarily stopped with only one symbol displayed.

[Modification 5]
In the pattern position change performances B and C, the left and right decorative patterns 8L and 8R and the center decorative pattern 8C are tilted in opposite directions when tilting left and right. However, the left decorative pattern 8L, the right decorative pattern 8R, and the center decorative pattern 8C may be tilted in the same direction.

[Modification 6]
In the symbol position change performances B and C, the left and right decorative symbols 8L and 8R and the center decorative symbol 8C are displayed simultaneously in the same symbol row when the reels are temporarily stopped. However, three or more symbols may be displayed simultaneously in the same symbol row.

[Example of embodiment]
In the gaming machine of this embodiment, the following aspects can be realized.
◇[Aspect A8-1]
A gaming machine having a display means capable of displaying a plurality of types of images,
One of the plurality of types of images is a decorative pattern;
When the decorative pattern is temporarily stopped after being changed or after being temporarily stopped, the decorative pattern is tilted in a first direction and then returns to its original position.
A gaming machine characterized by:
◇[Aspect A8-2]
The gaming machine according to Aspect A8-1,
After the first performance, the decorative pattern is tilted in a second direction different from the first direction, and then a second performance is executed in which the decorative pattern returns to its original position.
A gaming machine characterized by:
◇[Aspect A8-3]
The gaming machine according to aspect A8-2,
In the first performance, when a part of the set of decorative patterns informing winning or losing is tilted in the first direction, the other decorative patterns in the set of decorative patterns are tilted in the second direction.
A gaming machine characterized by:
◇[Aspect A8-4]
The gaming machine according to Aspect A8-3,
In the second performance, when the part of the decorative patterns is tilted in the second direction, the other decorative patterns are tilted in the first direction.
A gaming machine characterized by:
◇[Aspect A8-5]
A gaming machine according to any one of Aspects A8-1 to A8-4,
In the first performance, when the decorative pattern tilts in the first direction, it moves in the first direction accordingly, and then, when it returns to its original position, it moves in a direction returning to its original position accordingly.
A gaming machine characterized by:
◇[Aspect A8-6]
A gaming machine according to any one of Aspects A8-1 to A8-5,
In the first performance, a plurality of the decorative symbols in the same symbol row are tilted in the first direction.
A gaming machine characterized by:
◇[Aspect A8-7]
A gaming machine according to any one of Aspects A8-1 to A8-6,
In a variation following the variation in which the first performance is executed, when the decorative pattern temporarily stops after the variation, or after the decorative pattern temporarily stops, a third performance can be executed in which the decorative pattern tilts in the first direction and then returns to its original position;
In the third performance, the tilt is greater in the first direction than in the first performance.
A gaming machine characterized by:

Below, band image display effects A to F are explained using Figures 75 to 77. These band image display effects can be executed during a variation effect. That is, the image control microcomputer 101 analyzes the variation start command received from the sub-control board 90, and if the command to execute a band image display effect is included, it reads out the corresponding image data from the ROM 103 and displays the image on the display screen 7a of the image display device 7.

FIG. 75 is a diagram for explaining band image display effect A and band image display effect B.
[Band image display effect A]
In the band image display performance A, the performance symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R are displayed in a variably downward manner. The arrangement of the performance symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R on the left, center, and right is the same. When the performance symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R are displayed in a variably manner, the symbols are displayed in ascending order: "1" symbol → "2" symbol → "3" symbol → "4" symbol → "5" symbol → "6" symbol → "7" symbol → "1" symbol → ...

Figures 75 (A) to (F) are figures for explaining band image display effect A.
First, as shown in Fig. 75 (A), the left pattern stop performance is executed. The left pattern stop performance is a performance in which the fluctuation speed (movement speed) of the left performance pattern 8L constituting the left pattern row slows down and the left performance pattern 8L stops. Here, the "6" pattern of the left performance pattern 8L is shown stopped in the center of the vertical direction of the display screen 7a. The middle performance pattern 8C constituting the middle pattern row and the right performance pattern 8R constituting the right pattern row are fluctuating at high speed.

Next, as shown in FIG. 75(B), a right pattern stop effect is executed. In the right pattern stop effect, the movement speed of the right pattern 8R that constitutes the right pattern row slows down, and then the right pattern 8R stops. Here, the movement speed of the right pattern 8R that constitutes the right pattern row slows down, and the state just before the "6" pattern approaches the vertical center of the display screen 7a is shown. Note that the left pattern 8L is hidden except for the "6" pattern. Patterns other than the "6" pattern may be displayed semi-transparently to make them less noticeable.

Next, as shown in Figure 75 (C), a reach formation effect is executed. A reach formation effect is an effect in which the effect symbols stop in a reach state. Here, the right effect symbol 8R stops at a "6" symbol following the left effect symbol 8L, forming a reach state. As with the left effect symbol 8L, symbols other than the "6" symbol are not displayed in the right effect symbol 8R. Symbols other than the "6" symbol may be displayed semi-transparently to make them less noticeable. At this time, the middle effect symbol 8C continues to fluctuate at high speed.

Next, as shown in FIG. 75 (D), a middle symbol change effect is executed. The middle symbol change effect is an effect in which the middle symbol 8C is displayed moving at a visible speed. Here, the "4", "5", and "6" symbols of the middle symbol 8C that make up the middle symbol row are displayed changing. At this time, a band image OGC is displayed that overlaps with the "4", "5", and "6" symbols that make up the middle symbol row.

Next, as shown in FIG. 75(E), a middle symbol stop effect is executed. The middle symbol stop effect is an effect in which the movement speed of the middle symbol 8C that constitutes the middle symbol row slows down, and then the middle symbol 8C stops. Here, the movement speed of the middle symbol 8C that constitutes the middle symbol row slows down, and the state just before the "6" symbol approaches the vertical center of the display screen 7a is shown. Here, too, a band image OGC that overlaps the "5", "6", and "7" symbols that constitute the middle symbol row is displayed. If it is a jackpot, the "6" symbol stops in the vertical center of the display screen 7a, and if it is a miss, the "7" symbol stops instead of the "6" symbol in the vertical center of the display screen 7a. Here, the explanation will continue assuming that it is a jackpot.

Next, as shown in FIG. 75 (F), a fixed stop effect (jackpot) is executed. A fixed stop effect (jackpot) is an effect in which the effect symbols are fixed and stopped in the manner of a jackpot. Here, the left, center, and right effect symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R are all fixed and stopped at the "6" symbol. Note that even in the center effect symbol 8C, symbols other than the "6" symbol are not displayed. Symbols other than the "6" symbol may be displayed semi-transparently to make them less noticeable.

Figures 75 (G) to (L) are figures for explaining band image display performance B.
First, as shown in Fig. 75 (G), the left pattern stop performance is executed. The left pattern stop performance is a performance in which the fluctuation speed (movement speed) of the left performance pattern 8L constituting the left pattern row slows down and the left performance pattern 8L stops. Here, the "6" pattern of the left performance pattern 8L is shown stopped in the center of the vertical direction of the display screen 7a. The middle performance pattern 8C constituting the middle pattern row and the right performance pattern 8R constituting the right pattern row are fluctuating at high speed.

Next, as shown in FIG. 75(H), a right pattern stop effect is executed. In the right pattern stop effect, the speed of change of the right pattern 8R constituting the right pattern row slows down, and then the right pattern 8R stops. Here, the movement speed of the right pattern 8R constituting the right pattern row slows down, and the state just before the "6" pattern approaches the vertical center of the display screen 7a is shown. Note that the left pattern 8L is hidden except for the "6". Patterns other than the "6" may be displayed semi-transparently to make them less noticeable. At this time, a band image OGR overlapping the "5", "6", and "7" patterns constituting the right pattern row, and a band image OGC overlapping the center pattern 8C constituting the center pattern row are displayed.

Next, as shown in FIG. 75(I), a reach formation effect is executed. The reach formation effect is an effect in which the effect symbols stop in a reach state. Here, the right effect symbol 8R stops at a "6" symbol following the left effect symbol 8L, forming a reach state. As with the left effect symbol 8L, symbols other than the "6" symbol are not displayed in the right effect symbol 8R. Symbols other than the "6" symbol may be displayed semi-transparently to make them less noticeable. At this time, the middle effect symbol 8C continues to fluctuate at high speed. Here too, a band image OGR overlapping the "6" symbol that constitutes the right pattern row, and a band image OGC overlapping the middle effect symbol 8C that constitutes the middle pattern row are displayed.

Next, as shown in Figure 75 (J), a middle symbol change effect is executed. The middle symbol change effect is an effect in which the middle symbol 8C is displayed moving at a visible speed. Here, the "4", "5", and "6" symbols of the middle symbol 8C that make up the middle symbol row are displayed changing. Here too, a band image OGR that overlaps with the "6" symbol that makes up the right symbol row, and a band image OGC that overlaps with the "4", "5", and "6" symbols that make up the middle symbol row are displayed.

Next, as shown in FIG. 75(K), the middle symbol stop effect is executed. The middle symbol stop effect is an effect in which the moving speed of the middle symbol 8C constituting the middle symbol row slows down, and then the middle symbol 8C stops. Here, the moving speed of the middle symbol 8C constituting the middle symbol row slows down, and the state just before the "6" symbol approaches the vertical center of the display screen 7a is shown. Here, too, a band image OGR overlapping the "6" symbol constituting the right symbol row, and a band image OGC overlapping the "5", "6" and "7" symbols constituting the middle symbol row are displayed. If it is a jackpot, the "6" symbol stops in the vertical center of the display screen 7a, and if it is a miss, the "7" symbol stops instead of the "6" symbol in the vertical center of the display screen 7a. Here, the explanation will continue assuming that it is a jackpot.

Next, as shown in FIG. 75 (L), a fixed stop effect (jackpot) is executed. A fixed stop effect (jackpot) is an effect in which the effect symbols are fixed and stopped in the manner of a jackpot. Here, the left, center, and right effect symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R are all fixed and stopped at the "6" symbol. Note that even in the center effect symbol 8C, symbols other than the "6" symbol are not displayed. Symbols other than the "6" symbol may be displayed semi-transparently to make them less noticeable.

FIG. 76 is a diagram for explaining band image display effect C and band image display effect D.
[Band image display effect C]
In the band image display performance C, the performance symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R are displayed in a variably downward manner. The arrangement of the performance symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R on the left, center, and right is the same. When the performance symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R are displayed in a variably manner, the symbols are displayed in ascending order: "1" symbol → "2" symbol → "3" symbol → "4" symbol → "5" symbol → "6" symbol → "7" symbol → "1" symbol → ...

76(A) to (F) are diagrams for explaining band image display presentation C.
First, as shown in Fig. 76 (A), the left symbol stop effect is executed. The left symbol stop effect is an effect in which the fluctuation speed (movement speed) of the left symbol 8L constituting the left symbol row slows down and the left symbol 8L stops. Here, the "6" symbol of the left symbol 8L is shown stopped in the center of the vertical direction of the display screen 7a. The middle symbol 8C constituting the middle symbol row and the right symbol 8R constituting the right symbol row are fluctuating at high speed.

Next, as shown in FIG. 76(B), the right pattern stop effect is executed. The right pattern stop effect is an effect in which the movement speed of the right performance pattern 8R constituting the right pattern row slows down, and then the right performance pattern 8R stops. Here, the movement speed of the right performance pattern 8R constituting the right pattern row slows down, and the state just before the "6" pattern approaches the center in the vertical direction of the display screen 7a is shown. In addition, the left performance pattern 8L is hidden except for the "6". The patterns other than the "6" may be displayed semi-transparently to make them less noticeable. At this time, the band image OGR is displayed overlapping the "5", "6", and "7" patterns constituting the right pattern row. The band image OGR is displayed behind the right performance pattern 8R. Therefore, regardless of the transparency of the band image OGR, the right performance pattern 8R is easily visible.

Next, as shown in Figure 76 (C), a reach formation effect is executed. A reach formation effect is an effect in which the effect symbols stop in a reach state. Here, the right effect symbol 8R stops at a "6" symbol following the left effect symbol 8L, forming a reach state. As with the left effect symbol 8L, symbols other than the "6" symbol are not displayed in the right effect symbol 8R. Symbols other than the "6" symbol may be displayed semi-transparently to make them less noticeable. At this time, the middle effect symbol 8C continues to fluctuate at high speed.

Next, as shown in FIG. 76(D), a middle symbol variation effect is executed. The middle symbol variation effect is an effect in which the middle symbol 8C is displayed moving at a speed that is visible. Here, the "4", "5", and "6" symbols of the middle symbol 8C that make up the middle symbol row are displayed in a variable manner. Also, at this time, a band image OGC is displayed that overlaps the "4", "5", and "6" symbols that make up the middle symbol row. Furthermore, an ally character image CRA is displayed in the background image. The band image OGC is displayed behind the middle symbol 8C and in front of the background image. Therefore, regardless of the transparency of the band image OGR, the right symbol 8R is easily visible. On the other hand, depending on the transparency of the band image OGR, the ally character image CRA may be difficult to see.

Next, as shown in FIG. 76(E), a middle symbol stop effect is executed. The middle symbol stop effect is an effect in which the movement speed of the middle symbol 8C that constitutes the middle symbol row slows down, and then the middle symbol 8C stops. Here, the movement speed of the middle symbol 8C that constitutes the middle symbol row slows down, and the state just before the "6" symbol approaches the vertical center of the display screen 7a is shown. If there is a jackpot, the "6" symbol stops in the vertical center of the display screen 7a, and if there is a miss, the "6" symbol does not stop in the vertical center of the display screen 7a, but instead the "7" symbol stops. Here, we will continue the explanation assuming that there is a jackpot.

Next, as shown in FIG. 76 (F), a fixed stop effect (jackpot) is executed. A fixed stop effect (jackpot) is an effect in which the effect symbols are fixed and stopped in the manner of a jackpot. Here, the left, center, and right effect symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R are all fixed and stopped at the "6" symbol. Note that even in the center effect symbol 8C, symbols other than the "6" symbol are not displayed. Symbols other than the "6" symbol may be displayed semi-transparently to make them less noticeable.

76(G) to (L) are diagrams for explaining band image display effect D.
First, as shown in Fig. 76 (G), the left pattern stop performance is executed. The left pattern stop performance is a performance in which the fluctuation speed (movement speed) of the left performance pattern 8L constituting the left pattern row slows down and the left performance pattern 8L stops. Here, the "6" pattern of the left performance pattern 8L is shown stopped in the center of the vertical direction of the display screen 7a. The middle performance pattern 8C constituting the middle pattern row and the right performance pattern 8R constituting the right pattern row are fluctuating at high speed.

Next, as shown in FIG. 76(H), the right pattern stop effect is executed. The right pattern stop effect is an effect in which the movement speed of the right performance pattern 8R constituting the right pattern row slows down, and then the right performance pattern 8R stops. Here, the movement speed of the right performance pattern 8R constituting the right pattern row slows down, and the state just before the "6" pattern approaches the center in the vertical direction of the display screen 7a is shown. In addition, the left performance pattern 8L is hidden except for the "6". The patterns other than the "6" pattern may be displayed semi-transparently to make them less noticeable. At this time, the band image OGR is displayed, which overlaps the "5", "6", and "7" patterns constituting the right pattern row. The band image OGR is displayed on the front side of the right performance pattern 8R. Therefore, depending on the transparency of the band image OGR, the right performance pattern 8R may be difficult to see.

Next, as shown in Figure 76 (I), a reach formation effect is executed. A reach formation effect is an effect in which the effect symbols stop in a reach state. Here, the right effect symbol 8R stops at a "6" symbol following the left effect symbol 8L, forming a reach state. As with the left effect symbol 8L, symbols other than the "6" symbol are not displayed in the right effect symbol 8R. Symbols other than the "6" symbol may be displayed semi-transparently to make them less noticeable. At this time, the middle effect symbol 8C continues to fluctuate at high speed.

Next, as shown in FIG. 76(J), a middle symbol variation effect is executed. The middle symbol variation effect is an effect in which the middle symbol 8C is displayed moving at a visible speed. Here, the "4", "5", and "6" symbols of the middle symbol 8C that make up the middle symbol row are displayed in a variable manner. Also, at this time, a band image OGC is displayed that overlaps the "4", "5", and "6" symbols that make up the middle symbol row. Furthermore, an ally character image CRA is displayed in the background image. The band image OGC is displayed in front of the background image and the middle symbol 8C. Therefore, depending on the transparency of the band image OGR, the middle symbol 8C and the ally character image CRA may be difficult to see.

Next, as shown in FIG. 76 (K), a middle symbol stop effect is executed. In the middle symbol stop effect, the movement speed of the middle symbol 8C that constitutes the middle symbol row slows down, and then the middle symbol 8C stops. Here, the movement speed of the middle symbol 8C that constitutes the middle symbol row slows down, and the state just before the "6" symbol approaches the vertical center of the display screen 7a is shown. If there is a jackpot, the "6" symbol stops in the vertical center of the display screen 7a, and if there is a miss, the "6" symbol does not stop in the vertical center of the display screen 7a, but instead the "7" symbol stops. Here, we will continue the explanation assuming that there is a jackpot.

Next, as shown in FIG. 76 (L), a fixed stop effect (jackpot) is executed. A fixed stop effect (jackpot) is an effect in which the effect symbols are fixed and stopped in the manner of a jackpot. Here, the left, center, and right effect symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R are all fixed and stopped at the "6" symbol. Note that even in the center effect symbol 8C, symbols other than the "6" symbol are not displayed. Symbols other than the "6" symbol may be displayed semi-transparently to make them less noticeable.

FIG. 77 is a diagram for explaining band image display effect E and band image display effect F.
[Band image display effect E]
In the band image display effect E, the effect patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R are displayed in a variably downward manner. The arrangement of the effect patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R on the left, center, and right is the same. When the effect patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R are displayed in a variably manner, the patterns are displayed in ascending order, such as "1" → "2" → "3" → "4" → "5" → "6" → "7" → "1" → ...

77(A) to (F) are diagrams for explaining band image display effect E.
First, as shown in Fig. 77(A), the left symbol stop effect is executed. The left symbol stop effect is an effect in which the change speed (movement speed) of the left symbol 8L constituting the left symbol row slows down and the left symbol 8L stops. Here, the "6" symbol of the left symbol 8L is shown stopping in the center of the vertical direction of the display screen 7a. The middle symbol 8C constituting the middle symbol row and the right symbol 8R constituting the right symbol row are changing at high speed.

Next, as shown in FIG. 77(B), the right pattern stop effect is executed. The right pattern stop effect is an effect in which the movement speed of the right performance pattern 8R constituting the right pattern row slows down, and then the right performance pattern 8R stops. Here, the movement speed of the right performance pattern 8R constituting the right pattern row slows down, and the state just before the "6" pattern approaches the center in the vertical direction of the display screen 7a is shown. In addition, the left performance pattern 8L is hidden except for the "6". The patterns other than the "6" may be displayed semi-transparently to make them less noticeable. At this time, the band image OGR is displayed overlapping the "5", "6", and "7" patterns constituting the right pattern row. The band image OGR is displayed behind the right performance pattern 8R. Therefore, regardless of the transparency of the band image OGR, the right performance pattern 8R is easily visible.

Next, as shown in Figure 77 (C), a reach formation effect is executed. A reach formation effect is an effect in which the effect symbols stop in a reach state. Here, the right effect symbol 8R stops at a "6" symbol following the left effect symbol 8L, forming a reach state. As with the left effect symbol 8L, symbols other than the "6" symbol are not displayed in the right effect symbol 8R. Symbols other than the "6" symbol may be displayed semi-transparently to make them less noticeable. At this time, the middle effect symbol 8C continues to fluctuate at high speed.

Next, as shown in FIG. 77(D), a middle symbol variation effect is executed. The middle symbol variation effect is an effect in which the middle symbol 8C is displayed moving at a speed that can be seen. Here, the "4", "5", and "6" symbols of the middle symbol 8C that constitute the middle symbol row are displayed in a variable manner. Also, at this time, a band image OGC that overlaps the "4", "5", and "6" symbols that constitute the middle symbol row is displayed. Also, an ally character image CRA is displayed in the background image. Furthermore, multiple smile images SG are displayed. These images are displayed in the following order from the front side: smile image SG, effect symbols 8L, 8C, 8R, band image OGC, and ally character image CRA (background image). Therefore, by lowering the transparency of the band image OGR, the ally character image CRA can be made difficult to see, and by increasing the number of smile images SG, images other than the smile image SG can be made difficult to see.

Next, as shown in FIG. 77(E), the middle symbol stop effect is executed. The middle symbol stop effect is an effect in which the moving speed of the middle symbol 8C constituting the middle symbol row slows down, and then the middle symbol 8C stops. Here, the moving speed of the middle symbol 8C constituting the middle symbol row slows down, and the state just before the "6" symbol approaches the center of the display screen 7a in the vertical direction is shown. If it is a big win, the "6" symbol stops in the center of the display screen 7a in the vertical direction, and if it is a miss, the "6" symbol does not stop in the center of the display screen 7a in the vertical direction, but the "7" symbol stops. Here, the explanation will continue assuming that it is a big win. Note that the band image OGC and the smile image SG are not displayed here, but at least one of the band image OGC and the smile image SG may be displayed until the middle symbol 8C stops.

Next, as shown in FIG. 77 (F), a fixed stop effect (jackpot) is executed. A fixed stop effect (jackpot) is an effect in which the effect symbols are fixed and stopped in the manner of a jackpot. Here, the left, center, and right effect symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R are all fixed and stopped at the "6" symbol. Note that even in the center effect symbol 8C, symbols other than the "6" symbol are not displayed. Symbols other than the "6" symbol may be displayed semi-transparently to make them less noticeable.

Figures 77 (G) to (L) are figures for explaining the band image display effect F.
First, as shown in Fig. 77(G), the left pattern stop performance is executed. The left pattern stop performance is a performance in which the fluctuation speed (movement speed) of the left performance pattern 8L constituting the left pattern row slows down and the left performance pattern 8L stops. Here, the "6" pattern of the left performance pattern 8L is shown stopped in the center of the vertical direction of the display screen 7a. The middle performance pattern 8C constituting the middle pattern row and the right performance pattern 8R constituting the right pattern row are fluctuating at high speed.

Next, as shown in FIG. 77(H), the right pattern stop effect is executed. The right pattern stop effect is an effect in which the movement speed of the right performance pattern 8R constituting the right pattern row slows down, and then the right performance pattern 8R stops. Here, the movement speed of the right performance pattern 8R constituting the right pattern row slows down, and the state just before the "6" pattern approaches the center in the vertical direction of the display screen 7a is shown. In addition, the left performance pattern 8L is hidden except for the "6". The patterns other than the "6" pattern may be displayed semi-transparently to make them less noticeable. At this time, the band image OGR is displayed, which overlaps the "5", "6", and "7" patterns constituting the right pattern row. The band image OGR is displayed on the front side of the right performance pattern 8R. Therefore, depending on the transparency of the band image OGR, the right performance pattern 8R may be difficult to see.

Next, as shown in Figure 77 (I), a reach formation effect is executed. A reach formation effect is an effect in which the effect symbols stop in a reach state. Here, the right effect symbol 8R stops at a "6" symbol following the left effect symbol 8L, forming a reach state. As with the left effect symbol 8L, symbols other than the "6" symbol are not displayed in the right effect symbol 8R. Symbols other than the "6" symbol may be displayed semi-transparently to make them less noticeable. At this time, the middle effect symbol 8C continues to fluctuate at high speed.

Next, as shown in FIG. 77(J), a middle symbol variation effect is executed. The middle symbol variation effect is an effect in which the middle symbol 8C is displayed moving at a visible speed. Here, the "4", "5", and "6" symbols of the middle symbol 8C that constitute the middle symbol row are displayed moving. At this time, a band image OGC is displayed that overlaps the "4", "5", and "6" symbols that constitute the middle symbol row. In addition, an ally character image CRA is displayed in the background image. Furthermore, multiple smile images SG are displayed. The smile images SG are displayed moving in a group as shown by the arrow Y. These images are displayed in the following order from the front side: smile image SG, band image OGC, effect symbols 8L, 8C, 8R, and ally character image CRA (background image). Therefore, by lowering the transparency of the band image OGR, the ally character image CRA and the performance pattern can be made difficult to see, and by increasing the number of smile images SG, images other than the smile images SG can be made difficult to see.

Next, as shown in FIG. 77(K), the middle symbol stop effect is executed. The middle symbol stop effect is an effect in which the moving speed of the middle symbol 8C constituting the middle symbol row slows down, and then the middle symbol 8C stops. Here, the moving speed of the middle symbol 8C constituting the middle symbol row slows down, and the state just before the "6" symbol approaches the center of the display screen 7a in the vertical direction is shown. If it is a big win, the "6" symbol stops in the center of the display screen 7a in the vertical direction, and if it is a miss, the "6" symbol does not stop in the center of the display screen 7a in the vertical direction, but the "7" symbol stops. Here, the explanation will continue assuming that it is a big win. Note that the band image OGC and the smile image SG are not displayed here, but at least one of the band image OGC and the smile image SG may be displayed until the middle symbol 8C stops.

Next, as shown in FIG. 77 (L), a fixed stop effect (jackpot) is executed. A fixed stop effect (jackpot) is an effect in which the effect symbols are fixed and stopped in the manner of a jackpot. Here, the left, center, and right effect symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R are all fixed and stopped at the "6" symbol. Note that even in the center effect symbol 8C, symbols other than the "6" symbol are not displayed. Symbols other than the "6" symbol may be displayed semi-transparently to make them less noticeable.

[Example of effect]
Below are some examples of the effects of the design change effects.
[Effect 1]
In the gaming machine 1 of the above embodiment, band images OGR, OGC that overlap with the performance symbols that make up the symbol string are displayed along with the variable display (Figs. 75(D)(E)(H)-(K), 76(B)(D)(H)(J), 77(B)(D)(H)(J)). With this configuration, the variable display in the symbol string can be made to stand out, and the excitement of the game can be increased. The band images OGR, OGC correspond to the "first image", and the performance control microcomputer 91 corresponds to the "display control means".

[Effect 2]
In the gaming machine 1 of the above embodiment, the band image OGR overlapping the right performance pattern 8R constituting the right pattern row, and the band image OGC overlapping the center performance pattern 8C constituting the center pattern row are displayed with the variable display (FIG. 75(D)(E)(H)-(K), FIG. 76(B)(D)(H)(J), FIG. 77(B)(D)(H)(J)). With this configuration, the variable display in a specific pattern row can be highlighted, and the interest of the game can be improved.

[Effect 3]
In the gaming machine 1 of the above embodiment, the band image OGC can be displayed behind the performance pattern 8C and in front of the ally character image CRA as a background image (FIG. 76(D), FIG. 77(D)). With this configuration, the performance pattern 8C is not covered by the band image OGC, and the appearance of the ally character image CRA changes depending on the transparency of the band image OGC, which increases the interest of the game.

[Effect 4]
In the gaming machine 1 of the above embodiment, the band image OGC can be displayed in front of the performance pattern 8C and in front of the ally character image CRA as a background image (FIG. 76(J), FIG. 77(J)). According to this configuration, the performance pattern 8C and the ally character image CRA are covered by the band image OGC, and the appearance of the performance pattern 8C and the ally character image CRA changes depending on the transparency of the band image OGC, so that the interest of the game can be improved.

[Effect 5]
In the gaming machine 1 of the above embodiment, a smile image SG can be displayed that overlaps with the performance symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R and is separate from the band images OGC and OGR (FIG. 77(D)(J)). With this configuration, the variable display in a specific symbol row can be highlighted in combination with the band images OGC and OGR, thereby increasing the interest of the game. The smile image SG corresponds to the "second image."

[Effect 6]
In the gaming machine 1 of the above embodiment, a smile image SG separate from the band images OGC and OGR can be displayed so as to overlap with the multiple performance symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R and move in a group (FIG. 77(J)). With this configuration, the variable display in a specific symbol row can be highlighted in combination with the band images OGC and OGR, thereby increasing the interest of the game.

[Modification]
The following describes modified examples of the band image display presentation.
[Modification 1]
In the above embodiment, the band images OGC and OGR are displayed during a predetermined period of the variable display of the performance symbols 8C and 8R. However, the display of the band images OGC and OGR may be for a short period of time as long as it is during the variable display.

[Modification 2]
In the above embodiment, the band image OGR overlapping the right performance pattern 8R and the band image OGC overlapping the center performance pattern 8C are given as examples. In contrast, a band image overlapping the left performance pattern 8L may be displayed. Also, a band image that spans two or more pattern rows may be displayed. For example, a band image overlapping the left performance pattern 8L and the right performance pattern 8R may be displayed.

[Modification 3]
In the above embodiment, the band image OGC is displayed in front of the ally character image CRA (background image) (FIGS. 76(D)(J), 77(D)(J)). Therefore, the transparency of the band image OGC can be increased to make the ally character image CRA easier to recognize, or the transparency of the band image OGC can be decreased to make the ally character image CRA more difficult to recognize.

[Modification 4]
In the above embodiment, the band images OGC and OGR are displayed in front of the performance patterns 8R and 8C (Fig. 76 (H) (J), Fig. 77 (H) (J)). Therefore, the transparency of the band images OGC and OGR can be increased to make the performance patterns 8R and 8C easier to recognize, or the transparency of the band images OGC and OGR can be decreased to make the performance patterns 8R and 8C more difficult to recognize.

[Modification 5]
In the above embodiment, the transparency of the band images OGC and OGR may be changed over time. For example, the transparency is set low at the beginning of the display, and the transparency is increased according to the speed of the change of the performance patterns 8C and 8R. Also, a band image having a different transparency may be displayed during one change. For example, in Figs. 76 and 77, the transparency of the band image OGC overlapping the center performance pattern 8C is made different from the transparency of the band image OGR overlapping the right performance pattern 8R.

[Modification 6]
In the above embodiment, the opaque smile image SG is displayed in the foreground (FIGS. 77D and 77J). However, an image having a certain degree of transparency may be used.

[Example of embodiment]
In the gaming machine of this embodiment, the following aspects can be realized.
[Aspect A9-1]
A gaming machine that performs a variable display using a plurality of symbol rows, stops the plurality of symbol rows with one symbol included in the symbol row as a stopped symbol, and notifies a lottery result,
A display control means is provided for displaying a first image overlapping at least two symbols constituting the symbol string in accordance with the variable display of the symbol string.
A gaming machine characterized by:

[Aspect A9-2]
The gaming machine according to Aspect A9-1,
The display control means displays the first image so as to overlap a pattern of a specific pattern row among the plurality of pattern rows.
A gaming machine characterized by:

[Aspect A9-3]
A gaming machine according to Aspect A9-1 or A9-2,
The display control means displays the first image on the rear side of the design and on the front side of the background image.
A gaming machine characterized by:

[Aspect A9-4]
A gaming machine according to Aspect A9-1 or A9-2,
The display control means displays the first image on the front side of the design and on the front side of the background image.
A gaming machine characterized by:

[Aspect A9-5]
A gaming machine according to any one of Aspects A9-1 to A9-4,
The display control means is capable of displaying a second image different from the first image superimposed on the pattern of the pattern row.
A gaming machine characterized by:

[Aspect A9-6]
The gaming machine according to Aspect A9-5,
The display control means moves and displays the second image so as to overlap the plurality of symbols in the symbol row.
A gaming machine characterized by:

[Aspect A9-7]
A gaming machine according to any one of Aspects A9-1 to A9-6,
The display control means changes the transparency of the first image according to the variable display.
A gaming machine characterized by:

The special trajectory change effects A to F are explained below using Figures 78 to 80. These special trajectory change effects can be executed during a change effect. That is, the image control microcomputer 101 analyzes the change start command received from the sub-control board 90, and if the command to execute a special trajectory change effect is included, it reads out the corresponding image data from the ROM 103 and displays the image on the display screen 7a of the image display device 7.

Figure 78 is a diagram to explain special trajectory change performance A and special trajectory change performance B.
[Special trajectory change effect A]
In the special trajectory change performance A, the performance symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R are displayed to move downward. The arrangement of the performance symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R on the left, center, and right is the same. When the performance symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R are displayed, the symbols are displayed in ascending order, such as "1" symbol → "2" symbol → "3" symbol → "4" symbol → "5" symbol → "6" symbol → "7" symbol → "1" symbol → ...

Figures 78 (A) to (F) are figures to explain special trajectory change effect A.
First, as shown in Fig. 78 (A), a fixed stop effect (miss) is executed. The fixed stop effect (miss) is an effect in which the effect symbols are fixed and stopped in a miss mode. Here, the left effect symbol 8L is fixed and stopped at a "1" symbol, the center effect symbol 8C is fixed and stopped at a "2" symbol, and the right effect symbol 8R is fixed and stopped at a "8" symbol.

Next, as shown in Figure 78 (B), a special variable effect (early stage) is executed. The special variable effect is an effect in which the left and right performance patterns 8L, 8R are displayed in a variable manner (hereinafter also referred to as "moving display"). Here, the "3", "4", and "5" symbols included in the left performance pattern 8L are displayed moving along the trajectory YL. Also, the "2", "3", "4", and "5" symbols included in the right performance pattern 8R are displayed moving along the trajectory YR.

Next, as shown in FIG. 78(C), the special variation performance (later period) is executed. Here, the "5", "6" and "7" symbols included in the left performance pattern 8L are displayed moving along the trajectory YL. Also, the "4", "5", "6" and "7" symbols included in the right performance pattern 8R are displayed moving along the trajectory YR. In this way, the trajectories YL and YR in the special variation performance (later period) are different from the trajectories YL and YR in the special variation performance (early period). In other words, the trajectories YL and YR change, and the trajectory is not specified. Note that, although it has been explained here that the trajectory changes between the special variation performance (early period) and the special variation performance (later period), the trajectory may be configured to change in stages like this, or the trajectory may be configured to change continuously from moment to moment.

Next, as shown in Figure 78 (D), a reach formation effect is executed. The reach formation effect is an effect in which the effect symbols stop in a reach state. Here, the left and right effect symbols 8L, 8R both stop at the "6" symbol, and a reach state is formed. At this time, the left and right effect symbols 8L, 8R have no symbols other than the "6" symbol. The symbols other than the "6" symbol may be displayed semi-transparently to make them less noticeable. At this time, the middle effect symbol 8C continues to fluctuate at high speed.

Next, as shown in FIG. 78(E), a middle symbol stop effect is executed. In the middle symbol stop effect, the movement speed of the middle symbol 8C that constitutes the middle symbol row slows down, and then the middle symbol 8C stops. Here, the "4", "5", and "6" symbols included in the middle symbol 8C that constitutes the middle symbol row are displayed moving along a linear trajectory YC. Note that the trajectory YC does not change, and the trajectory is specified. If there is a jackpot, the "6" symbol stops in the vertical center of the display screen 7a, and if there is a miss, the "7" symbol stops in the vertical center of the display screen 7a instead of the "6". Here, we will continue the explanation assuming there is a jackpot.

Next, as shown in FIG. 78 (F), a fixed stop effect (jackpot) is executed. A fixed stop effect (jackpot) is an effect in which the effect symbols are fixed and stopped in the manner of a jackpot. Here, the left, center, and right effect symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R are all fixed and stopped at the "6" symbol. Note that even in the center effect symbol 8C, symbols other than the "6" symbol are not displayed. Symbols other than the "6" symbol may be displayed semi-transparently to make them less noticeable.

[Special trajectory change effect B]
In the special trajectory change performance B, the performance symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R are displayed to move downwards. The arrangement of the performance symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R on the left, center, and right is the same. When the performance symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R are displayed, the symbols are displayed in ascending order: "1" symbol → "2" symbol → "3" symbol → "4" symbol → "5" symbol → "6" symbol → "7" symbol → "1" symbol → ...

Figures 78 (G) to (L) are figures to explain special trajectory change effect B.
First, as shown in Fig. 78 (G), a fixed stop effect (miss) is executed. The fixed stop effect (miss) is an effect in which the effect symbols are fixed and stopped in a miss mode. Here, the left effect symbol 8L is fixed and stopped at a "1" symbol, the center effect symbol 8C is fixed and stopped at a "2" symbol, and the right effect symbol 8R is fixed and stopped at a "8" symbol.

Next, as shown in Figure 78 (H), a special variable effect (first half) is executed. The special variable effect is an effect in which the left and right performance patterns 8L, 8R are displayed in a variable manner (hereinafter also referred to as "moving display"). Here, the "3", "4", and "5" symbols included in the left performance pattern 8L are displayed moving along the trajectory YL. Also, the "2", "3", "4", and "5" symbols included in the right performance pattern 8R are displayed moving along the trajectory YR. At this time, the left performance pattern 8L and the right performance pattern 8R are displayed moving so that their up and down directions are parallel to the trajectories YL and YR.

Next, as shown in FIG. 78(I), the special variation performance (later period) is executed. Here, the "5", "6" and "7" symbols included in the left performance pattern 8L are displayed moving along the trajectory YL. Also, the "4", "5", "6" and "7" symbols included in the right performance pattern 8R are displayed moving along the trajectory YR. At this time, the left performance pattern 8L and the right performance pattern 8R are displayed moving so that their up and down directions are parallel to the trajectories YL and YR. In this way, the trajectories YL and YR in the special variation performance (later period) are different from the trajectories YL and YR in the special variation performance (early period). In other words, the trajectories YL and YR change, and the trajectory is not specified. Note that, although it has been explained here that the trajectory changes between the special variation performance (early period) and the special variation performance (later period), the trajectory may be configured to change stepwise in this way, or the trajectory may be configured to change continuously from moment to moment.

Next, as shown in Figure 78 (J), a reach formation effect is executed. The reach formation effect is an effect in which the effect symbols stop in a reach state. Here, the left and right effect symbols 8L, 8R both stop at the "6" symbol, and a reach state is formed. At this time, the left and right effect symbols 8L, 8R have no symbols other than the "6" symbol, and all symbols other than the "6" symbol are not displayed. Symbols other than the "6" symbol may be displayed semi-transparently to make them less noticeable. At this time, the middle effect symbol 8C continues to fluctuate at high speed.

Next, as shown in FIG. 78(K), a middle symbol stop effect is executed. The middle symbol stop effect is an effect in which the movement speed of the middle symbol 8C that constitutes the middle symbol row slows down, and then the middle symbol 8C stops. Here, the "4", "5", and "6" symbols included in the middle symbol 8C that constitutes the middle symbol row are displayed moving along the trajectory YC. At this time, the effect symbols 8C are displayed moving so that their up-down direction is parallel to the trajectory YC. Note that the trajectory YC does not change, and the trajectory is specified. If it is a big win, the "6" symbol stops in the center of the vertical direction of the display screen 7a, and if it is a loss, the "7" symbol stops in the center of the vertical direction of the display screen 7a instead of the "6". Here, we will continue the explanation assuming that it is a big win.

Next, as shown in FIG. 78 (L), a fixed stop effect (jackpot) is executed. A fixed stop effect (jackpot) is an effect in which the effect symbols are fixed and stopped in the manner of a jackpot. Here, the left, center, and right effect symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R are all fixed and stopped at the "6" symbol. Note that even in the center effect symbol 8C, symbols other than the "6" symbol are not displayed. Symbols other than the "6" symbol may be displayed semi-transparently to make them less noticeable.

Figure 79 is a diagram to explain special trajectory change performance C and special trajectory change performance D.
[Special trajectory change effect C]
In the special trajectory change performance C, the performance symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R are displayed to move downwards. The arrangement of the performance symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R on the left, center, and right is the same. When the performance symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R are displayed, the symbols are displayed in ascending order: "1" symbol → "2" symbol → "3" symbol → "4" symbol → "5" symbol → "6" symbol → "7" symbol → "1" symbol → ...

Figures 79 (A) to (F) are figures to explain special trajectory change presentation C.
First, as shown in Fig. 79 (A), a fixed stop effect (miss) is executed. The fixed stop effect (miss) is an effect in which the effect symbols are fixed and stopped in a miss mode. Here, the left effect symbol 8L is fixed and stopped at a "1" symbol, the center effect symbol 8C is fixed and stopped at a "2" symbol, and the right effect symbol 8R is fixed and stopped at a "8" symbol.

Next, as shown in Figure 79 (B), a special variable effect (first half) is executed. The special variable effect is an effect in which the left and right performance patterns 8L, 8R are displayed in a variable manner (hereinafter also referred to as "moving display"). Here, the "3", "4", and "5" symbols included in the left performance pattern 8L are displayed moving along the trajectory YL. Also, the "2", "3", "4", and "5" symbols included in the right performance pattern 8R are displayed moving along the trajectory YR. Furthermore, the performance patterns 8L, 8R include symbols of various sizes.

Next, as shown in FIG. 79(C), the special variation performance (later period) is executed. Here, the "5" symbol, "6" symbol, and "7" symbol included in the left performance pattern 8L are displayed moving along the trajectory YL. Also, the "4" symbol, "5" symbol, "6" symbol, and "7" symbol included in the right performance pattern 8R are displayed moving along the trajectory YR. Furthermore, the performance patterns 8L and 8R include symbols of various sizes. In this way, the trajectories YL and YR in the special variation performance (later period) are different from the trajectories YL and YR in the special variation performance (early period). In other words, the trajectories YL and YR change, and the trajectory is not specified. Note that, although it has been explained here that the trajectory changes between the special variation performance (early period) and the special variation performance (later period), the trajectory may be configured to change in stages like this, or the trajectory may be configured to change continuously from moment to moment.

Next, as shown in Figure 79 (D), a reach formation effect is executed. The reach formation effect is an effect in which the effect symbols stop in a reach state. Here, the left and right effect symbols 8L, 8R both stop at the "6" symbol, and the reach state is shown to be formed. At this time, symbols other than the "6" symbol are not displayed on the left and right effect symbols 8L, 8R. Symbols other than the "6" symbol may be displayed semi-transparently to make them less noticeable. Note that if the "6" symbol has been enlarged or reduced, it will return to its standard size as the reach state is formed. At this time, the middle effect symbol 8C continues to fluctuate at high speed.

Next, as shown in FIG. 79(E), a middle symbol stop effect is executed. In the middle symbol stop effect, the moving speed of the middle symbol 8C that constitutes the middle symbol row slows down, and then the middle symbol 8C stops. Here, the "4", "5", and "6" symbols included in the middle symbol 8C that constitutes the middle symbol row are displayed moving along a linear trajectory YC. Also, the effect symbol 8C includes symbols of various sizes. Note that the trajectory YC does not change, and the trajectory is specified. If it is a jackpot, the "6" symbol stops in the vertical center of the display screen 7a, and if it is a miss, the "7" symbol stops in the vertical center of the display screen 7a instead of the "6". Here, we will continue the explanation assuming that it is a jackpot.

Next, as shown in FIG. 79 (F), a fixed stop effect (jackpot) is executed. The fixed stop effect (jackpot) is an effect in which the effect symbols are fixed and stopped in the manner of a jackpot. Here, the left, center, and right effect symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R are all fixed and stopped as the "6" symbol. Note that the center effect symbol 8C also has symbols other than the "6" symbol hidden. Symbols other than the "6" symbol may be displayed semi-transparently to make them less noticeable. Note that if the "6" symbol has been enlarged or reduced, it will return to its standard size as the fixed stop effect occurs.

[Special trajectory change effect D]
In the special trajectory change performance D, the performance symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R are displayed to move downward. The arrangement of the performance symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R on the left, center, and right is the same. When the performance symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R are displayed, the symbols are displayed in ascending order, such as "1" symbol → "2" symbol → "3" symbol → "4" symbol → "5" symbol → "6" symbol → "7" symbol → "1" symbol → ...

Figures 79 (G) to (L) are figures to explain special trajectory change effect D.
First, as shown in Fig. 79 (G), a fixed stop effect (miss) is executed. The fixed stop effect (miss) is an effect in which the effect symbols are fixed and stopped in a miss mode. Here, the left effect symbol 8L is fixed and stopped at a "1" symbol, the center effect symbol 8C is fixed and stopped at a "2" symbol, and the right effect symbol 8R is fixed and stopped at a "8" symbol.

Next, as shown in FIG. 79 (H), a special variable performance (first half) is executed. The special variable performance is a performance in which the left and right performance patterns 8L, 8R are displayed in a variable manner (hereinafter also referred to as "moving display"). Here, the "3", "4", and "5" symbols included in the left performance pattern 8L are displayed moving along the trajectory YL. Also, the "2", "3", "4", and "5" symbols included in the right performance pattern 8R are displayed moving along the trajectory YR. At this time, the left performance pattern 8L and the right performance pattern 8R are displayed moving so that their up and down directions are perpendicular to the trajectories YL, YR. Also, the performance patterns 8L, 8R include symbols of various sizes.

Next, as shown in FIG. 79(I), the special variation performance (later period) is executed. Here, the "5", "6" and "7" symbols included in the left performance pattern 8L are displayed moving along the trajectory YL. Also, the "4", "5", "6" and "7" symbols included in the right performance pattern 8R are displayed moving along the trajectory YR. At this time, the left performance pattern 8L and the right performance pattern 8R are displayed moving so that their up and down directions are perpendicular to the trajectories YL and YR. Also, the performance patterns 8L and 8R include symbols of various sizes. In this way, the trajectories YL and YR in the special variation performance (later period) are different from the trajectories YL and YR in the special variation performance (early period). In other words, the trajectories YL and YR change, and the trajectory is not specified. Note that, although it has been explained here that the trajectory changes between the special variation performance (early period) and the special variation performance (later period), the trajectory may be configured to change stepwise in this way, or the trajectory may be configured to change continuously from moment to moment.

Next, as shown in Figure 79 (J), a reach formation effect is executed. The reach formation effect is an effect in which the effect symbols stop in a reach state. Here, the left and right effect symbols 8L, 8R both stop at the "6" symbol, and the reach state is shown to be formed. At this time, symbols other than the "6" symbol are not displayed on the left and right effect symbols 8L, 8R. Symbols other than the "6" symbol may be displayed semi-transparently to make them less noticeable. Note that if the "6" symbol has been enlarged or reduced, it will return to its standard size as the reach state is formed. At this time, the middle effect symbol 8C continues to fluctuate at high speed.

Next, as shown in FIG. 79(K), a middle symbol stop effect is executed. The middle symbol stop effect is an effect in which the moving speed of the middle symbol 8C constituting the middle symbol row slows down, and then the middle symbol 8C stops. Here, the "4", "5", and "6" symbols included in the middle symbol 8C constituting the middle symbol row are displayed moving along the trajectory YC. At this time, the vertical direction of the effect symbol 8C is displayed moving so that it is perpendicular to the trajectory YC. Also, the effect symbol 8C includes symbols of various sizes. Note that the trajectory YC does not change, and the trajectory is specified. If it is a big win, the "6" symbol stops in the vertical center of the display screen 7a, and if it is a loss, the "7" symbol stops in the vertical center of the display screen 7a instead of the "6". Here, we will continue the explanation assuming that it is a big win.

Next, as shown in FIG. 79 (L), a fixed stop effect (jackpot) is executed. The fixed stop effect (jackpot) is an effect in which the effect symbols are fixed and stopped in the manner of a jackpot. Here, the left, center, and right effect symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R are all fixed and stopped as the "6" symbol. Note that the center effect symbol 8C also has symbols other than the "6" symbol hidden. Symbols other than the "6" symbol may be displayed semi-transparently to make them less noticeable. Note that if the "6" symbol has been enlarged or reduced, it will return to its standard size as the fixed stop effect occurs.

Figure 80 is a diagram to explain special trajectory change effect E and special trajectory change effect F.
[Special trajectory change effect E]
In the special trajectory change effect E, the effect patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R are displayed to move downward. The arrangement of the effect patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R on the left, center, and right is the same. When the effect patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R are displayed, the patterns are displayed in ascending order, such as "1" → "2" → "3" → "4" → "5" → "6" → "7" → "1" → ...

Figures 80 (A) to (F) are figures to explain the special trajectory change effect E.
First, as shown in Fig. 80 (A), a fixed stop effect (miss) is executed. The fixed stop effect (miss) is an effect in which the effect symbols are fixed and stopped in a miss mode. Here, the left effect symbol 8L is fixed and stopped at a "1" symbol, the center effect symbol 8C is fixed and stopped at a "2" symbol, and the right effect symbol 8R is fixed and stopped at a "8" symbol.

Next, as shown in Figure 80 (B), a special variable effect (first half) is executed. The special variable effect is an effect in which the left and right performance patterns 8L, 8R are displayed in a variable manner (hereinafter also referred to as "moving display"). Here, the "3", "4", and "5" symbols included in the left performance pattern 8L are displayed moving along the trajectory YL. Also, the "2", "3", "4", and "5" symbols included in the right performance pattern 8R are displayed moving along the trajectory YR. Furthermore, the performance patterns 8L, 8R include symbols of various sizes, and the spacing in the arrangement direction of the performance patterns 8L, 8R is not constant.

Next, as shown in FIG. 80(C), the special variation performance (later period) is executed. Here, the "5", "6" and "7" symbols included in the left performance pattern 8L are displayed moving along the trajectory YL. Also, the "4", "5", "6" and "7" symbols included in the right performance pattern 8R are displayed moving along the trajectory YR. Furthermore, the performance patterns 8L and 8R include symbols of various sizes, and the spacing in the arrangement direction of the performance patterns 8L and 8R is not constant. In this way, the trajectories YL and YR in the special variation performance (later period) are different from the trajectories YL and YR in the special variation performance (early period). In other words, the trajectories YL and YR change, and the trajectory is not specified. Note that, here, it has been explained that the trajectory changes between the special variation performance (early period) and the special variation performance (later period), but the trajectory may be configured to change in stages like this, or the trajectory may be configured to change continuously from moment to moment.

Next, as shown in Figure 80 (D), a reach formation effect is executed. The reach formation effect is an effect in which the effect symbols stop in a reach state. Here, the left and right effect symbols 8L, 8R both stop at the "6" symbol, and the reach state is shown to be formed. At this time, symbols other than the "6" symbol are not displayed on the left and right effect symbols 8L, 8R. Symbols other than the "6" symbol may be displayed semi-transparently to make them less noticeable. Note that if the "6" symbol has been enlarged or reduced, it will return to its standard size as the reach state is formed. At this time, the middle effect symbol 8C continues to fluctuate at high speed.

Next, as shown in FIG. 80(E), a middle symbol stop effect is executed. The middle symbol stop effect is an effect in which the moving speed of the middle symbol 8C constituting the middle symbol row slows down, and then the middle symbol 8C stops. Here, the "4", "5", and "6" symbols included in the middle symbol 8C constituting the middle symbol row are displayed moving along a linear trajectory YC. Also, the effect symbols 8C include symbols of various sizes, and the intervals in the arrangement direction of the effect symbols 8C are not constant. Note that the trajectory YC does not change, and the trajectory is specified. If it is a jackpot, the "6" symbol stops in the vertical center of the display screen 7a, and if it is a miss, the "7" symbol stops in the vertical center of the display screen 7a instead of the "6". Here, we will continue the explanation assuming that it is a jackpot.

Next, as shown in FIG. 80 (F), a fixed stop effect (jackpot) is executed. The fixed stop effect (jackpot) is an effect in which the effect symbols are fixed and stopped in the manner of a jackpot. Here, the left, center, and right effect symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R are all fixed and stopped as the "6" symbol. Note that the center effect symbol 8C also has symbols other than the "6" symbol hidden. Symbols other than the "6" symbol may be displayed semi-transparently to make them less noticeable. Note that if the "6" symbol has been enlarged or reduced, it will return to its standard size as the fixed stop effect occurs.

[Special trajectory change effect F]
In the special trajectory change effect F, the effect symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R are displayed to move downwards. The arrangement of the effect symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R on the left, center, and right is the same. When the effect symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R are displayed, the symbols are displayed in ascending order: "1" → "2" → "3" → "4" → "5" → "6" → "7" → "1" → ...

Figures 80 (G) to (L) are figures to explain the special trajectory change effect F.
First, as shown in Fig. 80 (G), a fixed stop effect (miss) is executed. The fixed stop effect (miss) is an effect in which the effect symbols are fixed and stopped in a miss mode. Here, the left effect symbol 8L is fixed and stopped at a "1" symbol, the center effect symbol 8C is fixed and stopped at a "2" symbol, and the right effect symbol 8R is fixed and stopped at a "8" symbol.

Next, as shown in FIG. 80(H), a special variable performance (first half) is executed. The special variable performance is a performance in which the left and right performance patterns 8L and 8R are displayed in a variable manner (hereinafter also referred to as "moving display"). Here, the "3", "4", and "5" symbols included in the left performance pattern 8L are displayed moving along the trajectory YL. Also, the "2", "3", "4", and "5" symbols included in the right performance pattern 8R are displayed moving along the trajectory YR. At this time, the up and down directions of the left performance pattern 8L and the right performance pattern 8R have an appropriate angle with respect to the trajectories YL and YR. Also, the performance patterns 8L and 8R include symbols of various sizes, and the spacing in the arrangement direction of the performance patterns 8L and 8R is not constant.

Next, as shown in FIG. 80(I), the special variable performance (later period) is executed. Here, the "5" symbol, "6" symbol, and "7" symbol included in the left performance pattern 8L are displayed moving along the trajectory YL. Also, the "4" symbol, "5" symbol, "6" symbol, and "7" symbol included in the right performance pattern 8R are displayed moving along the trajectory YR. At this time, the up-down direction of the left performance pattern 8L and the right performance pattern 8R has an appropriate angle with respect to the trajectories YL and YR. Also, the performance patterns 8L and 8R include symbols of various sizes, and the intervals in the arrangement direction of the performance patterns 8L and 8R are not constant. In this way, the trajectories YL and YR in the special variable performance (later period) are different from the trajectories YL and YR in the special variable performance (early period). In other words, the trajectories YL and YR change, and the trajectory is not specified. Note that, while we have explained here that the trajectory changes between the special variation performance (early stage) and the special variation performance (late stage), the trajectory may change in stages like this, or the trajectory may change continuously from moment to moment.

Next, as shown in Figure 80 (J), a reach formation effect is executed. The reach formation effect is an effect in which the effect symbols stop in a reach state. Here, the left and right effect symbols 8L, 8R both stop at the "6" symbol, and the reach state is shown to be formed. At this time, symbols other than the "6" symbol are not displayed on the left and right effect symbols 8L, 8R. Symbols other than the "6" symbol may be displayed semi-transparently to make them less noticeable. Note that if the "6" symbol has been enlarged or reduced, it will return to its standard size as the reach state is formed. At this time, the middle effect symbol 8C continues to fluctuate at high speed.

Next, as shown in FIG. 80(K), the middle symbol stop effect is executed. The middle symbol stop effect is an effect in which the moving speed of the middle symbol 8C constituting the middle symbol row slows down, and then the middle symbol 8C stops. Here, the "4", "5", and "6" symbols included in the middle symbol 8C constituting the middle symbol row are displayed moving along the trajectory YC. At this time, the vertical direction of the effect symbol 8C has an appropriate angle with respect to the trajectory YC. Also, the effect symbol 8C includes symbols of various sizes, and the intervals in the arrangement direction of the effect symbol 8C are not constant. Note that the trajectory YC does not change, and the trajectory is specified. If it is a big win, the "6" symbol stops in the vertical center of the display screen 7a, and if it is a miss, the "7" symbol stops in the vertical center of the display screen 7a instead of the "6". Here, the explanation will continue assuming that it is a big win.

Next, as shown in FIG. 80 (L), a fixed stop effect (jackpot) is executed. The fixed stop effect (jackpot) is an effect in which the effect symbols are fixed and stopped in the manner of a jackpot. Here, the left, center, and right effect symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R are all fixed and stopped as the "6" symbol. Note that the center effect symbol 8C also has symbols other than the "6" symbol hidden. Symbols other than the "6" symbol may be displayed semi-transparently to make them less noticeable. Note that if the "6" symbol has been enlarged or reduced, it will return to its standard size as the fixed stop effect occurs.

[Example of effect]
Below are some examples of the special trajectory change effects.
[Effect 1]
In the gaming machine 1 of the above embodiment, it is possible to execute a first variable display (Fig. 78(E)(K), Fig. 79(E)(K), Fig. 80(E)(K)) in which the trajectory of the performance pattern is specified, and a second variable display (Fig. 78(B)(C)(H)(I), Fig. 79(B)(C)(H)(I), Fig. 80(B)(C)(H)(I)) in which the trajectory of the performance pattern is not specified. With this configuration, it is possible to eliminate the monotony of the variable display and to increase the interest of the game. Note that the performance control microcomputer 91 corresponds to the "variable display means."

[Effect 2]
In the gaming machine 1 of the above embodiment, the second variable display is performed during the first period from the start of the variable display to the time when the reach state is formed by the stopped symbols (FIG. 78(B)(C)(H)(I), FIG. 79(B)(C)(H)(I), FIG. 80(B)(C)(H)(I)). With this configuration, the variable display until the time when the reach state is formed can be made novel, and the interest of the game can be improved.

[Effect 3]
In the gaming machine 1 of the above embodiment, the first variable display is performed in the second period after the formation of the reach (FIG. 78(E)(K), FIG. 79(E)(K), FIG. 80(E)(K)). According to this configuration, the trajectory of the variable display is specified after the formation of the reach, so that the variable display becomes easy to understand and the interest of the game can be improved.

[Effect 4]
In the gaming machine 1 of the above embodiment, the multiple symbols constituting the performance symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R are displayed in a variable manner, including symbols of different sizes (FIG. 79(B)(C)(E)(H)(I)(K), FIG. 80(B)(C)(E)(H)(I)(K)). This configuration can further eliminate the monotony of the variable display, and can increase the interest of the game.

[Effect 5]
In the gaming machine 1 of the above embodiment, the distance between the multiple symbols that make up the performance symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R is not constant (FIG. 80 (B) (C) (E) (H) (I) (K)). This configuration can further eliminate the monotony of the variable display, and can increase the interest of the game.

[Effect 6]
In the gaming machine 1 of the above embodiment, the effect symbol 8C is moved in a straight line in the first variable display (Fig. 78(E), Fig. 79(E), Fig. 80(E)). With this configuration, the variable display becomes easier to understand in comparison with the second variable display, and the interest in the game can be improved.

[Modification]
Below are some variations on the special trajectory change effects.
[Modification 1]
In the above embodiment, the first variation display in which the trajectory of the performance pattern is specified and the second variation display in which the trajectory of the performance pattern is not specified are performed in one variation. In contrast, the variation display may be performed only with the first variation display in which the trajectory of the performance pattern is specified.

[Modification 2]
In the above embodiment, the second variable display is performed in parallel for the left and right performance symbols 8L and 8R. In contrast, the second variable display may be performed sequentially for the left and right performance symbols 8L and 8R. For example, the second variable display is performed for the left performance symbol 8L, and then the left performance symbol 8L is stopped and displayed, and then the second variable display is performed for the right performance symbol 8R.

[Modification 3]
In the above embodiment, the second variable display is performed in parallel for the left and right performance patterns 8L and 8R. In contrast, the second variable display may be performed for one of the left performance pattern 8L and the right performance pattern 8R, and the first variable display may be performed for the other.

[Modification 4]
In the above embodiment, the second variable display is performed in parallel for the left and right performance patterns 8L and 8R. In contrast, the second variable display may be performed in parallel for the left, center, and right performance patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R. In this case, the performance patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R may be stopped almost simultaneously. Also, the middle performance pattern 8C may be stopped after the left and right performance patterns 8L and 8R form a reach. Furthermore, after the left and right performance patterns 8L and 8R form a reach, the first variable display may be performed for the middle performance pattern 8C.

[Modification 5]
In the above embodiment, the effect patterns 8L, 8R, and 8C that are displayed in a variable manner include patterns of various sizes. The size of the patterns may be changed stepwise or continuously in the variable display (moving display) on the display screen 7a.

[Modification 6]
In the above embodiment, the intervals in the arrangement direction of the performance symbols 8L, 8R, and 8C that are displayed in a variable manner are not constant. The intervals in the arrangement direction may be changed stepwise or continuously in the variable display (moving display) on the display screen 7a.

[Modification 7]
In the above embodiment, an example of a case where the trajectory is changed during the dynamic display is given as an example of a case where the trajectory is not specified. In contrast, a case where the trajectory is not specified may include a case where the trajectory is not displayed moving.

[Example of embodiment]
In the gaming machine of this embodiment, the following aspects can be realized.
[Aspect A10-1]
A gaming machine,
A variable display means is provided which is capable of executing a first variable display in which the trajectory of the pattern displayed in a variable manner in a plurality of rows is specified, and a second variable display in which the trajectory of the pattern is not specified.
A gaming machine characterized by:

[Aspect A10-2]
The gaming machine according to aspect A10-1,
The variation display means performs the second variation display during a first period from a variation start time to a reach formation time when a reach state is formed by a stopped pattern.
A gaming machine characterized by:

[Aspect A10-3]
The gaming machine according to aspect A10-2,
The variable display means performs the first variable display during a second period after the reach is formed.
A gaming machine characterized by:

[Aspect A10-4]
A gaming machine according to any one of Aspects A10-1 to A10-3,
In at least one of the first and second variable displays, a plurality of patterns constituting a specific pattern row include patterns of different sizes;
A gaming machine characterized by:

[Aspect A10-5]
A gaming machine according to any one of Aspects A10-1 to A10-4,
In at least one of the first and second variable displays, the distance between the plurality of symbols constituting a specific symbol row is not constant;
A gaming machine characterized by:

[Aspect A10-6]
A gaming machine according to any one of Aspects A10-1 to A10-5,
The variable display means moves the symbol in a linear trajectory in the first variable display.
A gaming machine characterized by:

[Aspect A10-7]
The gaming machine according to aspect A10-5,
changing a size of a predetermined symbol among a plurality of symbols constituting the specific symbol string in accordance with the variable display;
A gaming machine characterized by:

[Aspect A10-8]
The gaming machine according to aspect A10-6,
changing the distance between the plurality of symbols constituting the specific symbol string in accordance with the variable display;
A gaming machine characterized by:

The winning symbol movement effects A to F are explained below using Figures 81 to 83. These winning symbol movement effects can be executed during a variation effect. That is, the image control microcomputer 101 analyzes the variation start command received from the sub-control board 90, and if the command to execute a winning symbol movement effect is included, it reads out the corresponding image data from the ROM 103 and displays the image on the display screen 7a of the image display device 7.

FIG. 81 is a diagram for explaining winning symbol movement presentation A and winning symbol movement presentation B.
[Winning symbol movement performance A]
In the winning symbol movement performance A, the performance symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R are displayed in a variably downward manner. The arrangement of the performance symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R on the left, center, and right is the same. When the performance symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R are displayed in a variably manner, the symbols are displayed in ascending order: "1" symbol → "2" symbol → "3" symbol → "4" symbol → "5" symbol → "6" symbol → "7" symbol → "1" symbol → ...

Figures 81 (A) to (F) are diagrams for explaining the winning symbol movement presentation A.
After the start of the fluctuation and the formation of a reach, the middle symbol stop effect is executed as shown in Fig. 81 (A). The middle symbol stop effect is an effect in which the movement speed of the middle symbol 8C slows down and the middle symbol 8C stops. Here, the "5", "6", and "7" symbols included in the middle symbol 8C are displayed, and the "6" symbol is shown just before it approaches the center in the vertical direction of the display screen 7a. Note that the movement direction of the effect symbols 8L, 8R, and 8C in the fluctuation display is downward as shown by the arrow HD.

Next, as shown in FIG. 81(B), a jackpot notification effect is executed. The jackpot notification effect is an effect in which the effect symbols stop in a jackpot mode. Here, the left, center, and right effect symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R all stop at the "6" symbol. Note that in the center effect symbol 8C, symbols other than the "6" symbol are not displayed. Symbols other than the "6" symbol may be displayed semi-transparently to make them less noticeable.

Next, as shown in Figure 81 (C), a symbol movement effect (first half) is executed. The symbol movement effect is an effect in which the stopped symbols are displayed moving. Here, the symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R, which are winning symbols that stopped at the "6" symbol, are displayed moving in the direction indicated by the arrow ID. At this time, part of the left symbol 8L is framed out of the display screen 7a.

Next, as shown in Figure 81 (D), the symbol movement performance (later stage) is executed. Here, the entire left performance pattern 8L frames out of the display screen 7a, and most of the middle performance pattern 8C and right performance pattern 8R frames out of the display screen 7a. After this, the entire performance patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R frame out of the display screen 7a.

Next, as shown in Figure 81 (E), an image display performance (first half) is executed. The image display performance is a performance in which the ally character image CRA is displayed moving on the display screen 7a. Here, the ally character image CRA is shown framing in from the upper right corner of the display screen 7a. The ally character image CRA is displayed moving in the same direction as the performance patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R, as shown by the arrow ID. At this time, multiple related images KG related to the "6" pattern, which is the winning pattern, are displayed. The related image KG is an image showing a "6" made up of segments.

Next, as shown in FIG. 81 (F), the image display performance (later stage) is executed. Here, the ally character image CRA is framed in the display screen 7a and is displayed in the center of the display screen 7a. At this time, the related image KG is also displayed.

[Winning symbol movement effect B]
In the winning symbol movement performance B, the performance symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R are displayed in a variably downward manner. The arrangement of the performance symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R on the left, center, and right is the same. When the performance symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R are displayed in a variably manner, the symbols are displayed in ascending order: "1" symbol → "2" symbol → "3" symbol → "4" symbol → "5" symbol → "6" symbol → "7" symbol → "1" symbol → ...

Figures 81(G) to (L) are diagrams for explaining the winning symbol movement presentation B.
After the start of the fluctuation and the formation of a reach, the middle symbol stop effect is executed as shown in Fig. 81 (G). The middle symbol stop effect is an effect in which the movement speed of the middle symbol 8C slows down and the middle symbol 8C stops. Here, the "5", "6", and "7" symbols included in the middle symbol 8C are displayed, and the "6" symbol is shown just before it approaches the center in the vertical direction of the display screen 7a. Note that the movement direction of the effect symbols 8L, 8R, and 8C in the fluctuation display is downward as shown by the arrow HD.

Next, as shown in FIG. 81 (H), a jackpot notification effect is executed. The jackpot notification effect is an effect in which the effect symbols stop in a jackpot mode. Here, the left, center, and right effect symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R all stop at the "6" symbol. Note that in the center effect symbol 8C, symbols other than the "6" symbol are not displayed. Symbols other than the "6" symbol may be displayed semi-transparently to make them less noticeable.

Next, as shown in Figure 81 (I), a symbol movement effect (first half) is executed. The symbol movement effect is an effect in which the stopped symbols are displayed moving. Here, the symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R, which are winning symbols that stopped at the "6" symbol, are displayed moving in the direction indicated by the arrow ID. At this time, part of the left symbol 8L is framed out of the display screen 7a.

Next, as shown in Figure 81 (J), the symbol movement performance (later stage) is executed. Here, the entire left performance pattern 8L frames out of the display screen 7a, and most of the middle performance pattern 8C and right performance pattern 8R frames out of the display screen 7a. After this, the entire performance patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R frame out of the display screen 7a.

Next, as shown in Figure 81 (K), an image display performance (first half) is executed. The image display performance is a performance in which the ally character image CRA is displayed moving on the display screen 7a. Here, the ally character image CRA is shown framing in from the lower left corner of the display screen 7a. The ally character image CRA is displayed moving in the opposite direction to the performance patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R, as shown by the arrow ID. The ally character CRA frames in as if it is returning from the direction from which the performance patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R framed out.

Next, as shown in Figure 81 (L), the image display performance (later stage) is executed. Here, the ally character image CRA is framed into the display screen 7a and is displayed in the center of the display screen 7a. At this time, multiple related images KG related to the winning symbol "6" are displayed. The related images KG are images showing "6" made up of segments.

FIG. 82 is a diagram for explaining winning symbol movement presentation C and winning symbol movement presentation D.
[Winning symbol movement effect C]
In the winning symbol movement performance C, the performance symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R are displayed in a variably downward manner. The arrangement of the performance symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R on the left, center, and right is the same. When the performance symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R are displayed in a variably manner, the symbols are displayed in ascending order: "1" symbol → "2" symbol → "3" symbol → "4" symbol → "5" symbol → "6" symbol → "7" symbol → "1" symbol → ...

Figures 82(A) to (F) are diagrams for explaining the winning symbol movement presentation C.
After the start of the fluctuation and the formation of a reach, the middle symbol stop effect is executed as shown in Fig. 82 (A). The middle symbol stop effect is an effect in which the movement speed of the middle symbol 8C slows down and the middle symbol 8C stops. Here, the "5", "6" and "7" symbols included in the middle symbol 8C are displayed, and the "6" symbol is shown just before it approaches the center in the vertical direction of the display screen 7a. Note that the movement direction of the effect symbols 8L, 8R and 8C in the fluctuation display is downward as shown by the arrow HD.

Next, as shown in FIG. 82(B), a jackpot notification effect is executed. The jackpot notification effect is an effect in which the effect symbols stop in a jackpot mode. Here, the left, center, and right effect symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R all stop as "6" symbols. Note that in the middle effect symbol 8C, a "6" symbol stops in the center of the display screen 7a, and the "5" and "7" symbols, which are losing symbols other than the "6", are also displayed. The losing symbols may be displayed semi-transparently so that they are not noticeable.

Next, as shown in FIG. 82(C), a symbol movement effect (first half) is executed. The symbol movement effect is an effect in which the stopped symbols are displayed moving. Here, the symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R, which are winning symbols that stopped at the "6" symbol, are displayed moving in the direction indicated by the arrow ID. At this time, part of the left symbol 8L is framed out of the display screen 7a. Note that the "5" and "7" symbols, which are losing symbols, remain displayed on the display screen 7a.

Next, as shown in Figure 82 (D), the symbol movement performance (later stage) is executed. Here, the entire left performance pattern 8L frames out of the display screen 7a, and most of the middle performance pattern 8C and right performance pattern 8R frames out of the display screen 7a. After this, the entire performance patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R frame out of the display screen 7a. Note that the "5" and "7" symbols, which are the losing symbols, remain displayed on the display screen 7a.

Next, as shown in Figure 82 (E), an image display performance (first half) is executed. The image display performance is a performance in which the ally character image CRA is displayed moving on the display screen 7a. Here, the ally character image CRA is shown framing in from the upper right corner of the display screen 7a. The ally character image CRA is displayed moving in the same direction as the performance patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R, as shown by the arrow ID. At this time, multiple related images KG related to the "6" pattern, which is the winning pattern, are displayed. The related images KG are reduced images of the "6" pattern.

Next, as shown in FIG. 82 (F), the image display performance (later stage) is executed. Here, the ally character image CRA is framed in the display screen 7a and is displayed in the center of the display screen 7a. At this time, the related image KG is also displayed.

[Winning symbol movement performance D]
In the winning symbol movement performance D, the performance symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R are displayed in a variably downward manner. The arrangement of the performance symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R on the left, center, and right is the same. When the performance symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R are displayed in a variably manner, the symbols are displayed in ascending order: "1" symbol → "2" symbol → "3" symbol → "4" symbol → "5" symbol → "6" symbol → "7" symbol → "1" symbol → ...

82(G) to (L) are diagrams for explaining the winning symbol movement presentation D.
After the start of the fluctuation and the formation of a reach, the middle symbol stop effect is executed as shown in Fig. 82 (G). The middle symbol stop effect is an effect in which the movement speed of the middle symbol 8C slows down and the middle symbol 8C stops. Here, the "5", "6", and "7" symbols included in the middle symbol 8C are displayed, and the "6" symbol is shown just before it approaches the center in the vertical direction of the display screen 7a. Note that the movement direction of the effect symbols 8L, 8R, and 8C in the fluctuation display is downward as shown by the arrow HD.

Next, as shown in FIG. 82(H), a jackpot notification effect is executed. The jackpot notification effect is an effect in which the effect symbols stop in a jackpot mode. Here, the left, center, and right effect symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R all stop as "6" symbols. Note that in the middle effect symbol 8C, a "6" symbol is stopped in the center of the display screen 7a, and the "5" and "7" symbols, which are losing symbols other than the "6", are also displayed. The losing symbols may be displayed semi-transparently so that they are not noticeable.

Next, as shown in FIG. 82 (I), a symbol movement effect (first half) is executed. The symbol movement effect is an effect in which the stopped symbols are displayed moving. Here, the winning symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R, which stopped at the "6" symbol, are displayed moving in the direction indicated by the arrow ID. Similarly to the winning symbols, the "5" and "7" symbols included in the symbol 8C are also displayed moving in the direction indicated by the arrow ID. At this time, part of the left symbol 8L is framed out of the display screen 7a. Also, the entire "5" symbol, which is the losing symbol, is framed out of the display screen 7a.

Next, as shown in Figure 82 (J), the symbol movement performance (later stage) is executed. Here, the entire left performance pattern 8L frames out of the display screen 7a, and most of the middle performance pattern 8C and right performance pattern 8R frames out of the display screen 7a. After this, the entire performance patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R frame out of the display screen 7a.

Next, as shown in FIG. 82 (K), an image display performance (first half) is executed. The image display performance is a performance in which the ally character image CRA is displayed by moving on the display screen 7a. Here, the ally character image CRA is shown framing in from the lower left corner of the display screen 7a. The ally character image CRA is displayed moving in the opposite direction to the performance patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R as shown by the arrow ID. The ally character CRA frames in as if returning from the direction from which the performance patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R were framed out. At this time, multiple related images KG related to the "6" pattern, which is the winning pattern, are displayed. The related images KG are reduced images of the "6" pattern, and include images of different sizes. The related images KG are displayed moving in the direction shown by the arrow GD to form a group.

Next, as shown in FIG. 82 (L), the image display performance (later stage) is executed. Here, the ally character image CRA is framed in the display screen 7a and is displayed in the center of the display screen 7a. Here too, the related images KG are displayed moving in the direction indicated by the arrow GD as if they were a group.

FIG. 83 is a diagram for explaining the winning symbol movement performance E and the winning symbol movement performance F.
[Winning symbol movement effect E]
In the winning symbol movement effect E, the symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R are displayed in a variably downward motion. The arrangement of the symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R on the left, center, and right is the same. When the symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R are displayed in a variably motion, the symbols are displayed in ascending order: "1" symbol → "2" symbol → "3" symbol → "4" symbol → "5" symbol → "6" symbol → "7" symbol → "1" symbol → ...

83(A) to (F) are diagrams for explaining the winning symbol movement presentation E.
After the start of the fluctuation and the formation of a reach, the middle symbol stop effect is executed as shown in Fig. 83 (A). The middle symbol stop effect is an effect in which the movement speed of the middle symbol 8C slows down and the middle symbol 8C stops. Here, the "5", "6", and "7" symbols included in the middle symbol 8C are displayed, and the "6" symbol is shown just before it approaches the center in the vertical direction of the display screen 7a. Note that the movement direction of the effect symbols 8L, 8R, and 8C in the fluctuation display is downward as shown by the arrow HD.

Next, as shown in FIG. 83(B), a jackpot notification effect is executed. The jackpot notification effect is an effect in which the effect symbols stop in a jackpot mode. Here, the left, center, and right effect symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R all stop at the "6" symbol. Note that in the center effect symbol 8C, symbols other than the "6" symbol are not displayed. Symbols other than the "6" symbol may be displayed semi-transparently to make them less noticeable.

Next, as shown in Figure 83 (C), a symbol movement effect (first half) is executed. The symbol movement effect is an effect in which the stopped symbols are displayed moving. Here, the symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R, which are winning symbols that stopped at the "6" symbol, are displayed moving in the direction indicated by the arrow ID. At this time, part of the left symbol 8L is framed out of the display screen 7a.

Next, as shown in Figure 83 (D), the symbol movement performance (later stage) is executed. Here, the entire left performance pattern 8L frames out of the display screen 7a, and most of the middle performance pattern 8C and right performance pattern 8R frames out of the display screen 7a. After this, the entire performance patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R frame out of the display screen 7a.

Next, as shown in Figure 83 (E), an image display performance (first half) is executed. The image display performance is a performance in which the ally character image CRA is displayed moving on the display screen 7a. Here, the ally character image CRA is shown framing in from the upper right corner of the display screen 7a. The ally character image CRA is displayed moving in the same direction as the performance patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R, as shown by the arrow ID. At this time, multiple related images KG related to the "6" pattern, which is the winning pattern, are displayed. The related image KG is an image showing a "6" made up of segments.

Next, as shown in Figure 83 (F), an image display performance (later stage) is executed. Here, an ally character image CRA is framed into the display screen 7a and displayed in the center of the display screen 7a. At this time, a related image KG is also displayed. Furthermore, a smile image SG is displayed. The smile image SG is a different image from the related image KG, and is an opaque image.

[Winning symbol movement effect F]
In the winning symbol movement performance F, the performance symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R are displayed in a variably downward manner. The arrangement of the performance symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R on the left, center, and right is the same. When the performance symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R are displayed in a variably manner, the symbols are displayed in ascending order: "1" symbol → "2" symbol → "3" symbol → "4" symbol → "5" symbol → "6" symbol → "7" symbol → "1" symbol → ...

Figures 83(G) to (L) are diagrams for explaining the winning symbol movement presentation F.
After the start of the fluctuation and the formation of a reach, the middle symbol stop effect is executed as shown in Fig. 83 (G). The middle symbol stop effect is an effect in which the movement speed of the middle symbol 8C slows down and the middle symbol 8C stops. Here, the "5", "6", and "7" symbols included in the middle symbol 8C are displayed, and the "6" symbol is shown just before it approaches the center in the vertical direction of the display screen 7a. Note that the movement direction of the effect symbols 8L, 8R, and 8C in the fluctuation display is downward as shown by the arrow HD.

Next, as shown in FIG. 83 (H), a jackpot notification effect is executed. The jackpot notification effect is an effect in which the effect symbols stop in a jackpot mode. Here, the left, center, and right effect symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R all stop at the "6" symbol. Note that in the center effect symbol 8C, symbols other than the "6" symbol are not displayed. Symbols other than the "6" symbol may be displayed semi-transparently to make them less noticeable.

Next, as shown in Figure 83 (I), a symbol movement effect (first half) is executed. The symbol movement effect is an effect in which the stopped symbols are displayed moving. Here, the symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R, which are winning symbols that stopped at the "6" symbol, are displayed moving in the direction indicated by the arrow ID. At this time, part of the left symbol 8L is framed out of the display screen 7a.

Next, as shown in Figure 83 (J), a symbol movement performance (later stage) is executed. Here, the movement direction of the performance symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R as winning symbols changes, and they are displayed moving in the direction indicated by the arrow ID. Most of the left performance symbol 8L, middle performance symbol 8C, and right performance symbol 8R frame out from the bottom of the display screen 7a. After this, the entire performance symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R frame out from the display screen 7a.

Next, as shown in FIG. 83 (K), an image display effect (first half) is executed. The image display effect is an effect in which an ally character image CRA is displayed moving on the display screen 7a. Here, the ally character image CRA is shown framing in from the lower left corner of the display screen 7a. In addition, multiple smile images SG are displayed moving in the direction indicated by the arrow GD so as to form a group.

Next, as shown in Figure 83 (L), an image display performance (later stage) is executed. Here, an ally character image CRA is framed into the display screen 7a and displayed in the center of the display screen 7a. At this time, multiple related images KG related to the winning symbol "6" are displayed. The related image KG is an image showing "6" made up of segments. Again, multiple smile images SG are displayed moving in the direction indicated by the arrow GD to form a group.

[Example of effect]
An example of the effect of the moving winning symbols is shown below.
[Effect 1]
In the gaming machine 1 of the above embodiment, when a jackpot is hit, a jackpot notification effect is executed, and then an effect of moving the symbols in the jackpot mode is executed (FIGS. 81(B)-(D)(H)-(J), 82(B)-(D)(H)-(J), 83(B)-(D)(H)-(J)). According to this configuration, the effect symbols that notify a jackpot start to move, giving the player a surprise and increasing the interest of the game. The jackpot notification effect corresponds to the "first effect", the symbol movement effect corresponds to the "second effect", and the effect control microcomputer 91 corresponds to the "effect execution means".

[Effect 2]
In the gaming machine 1 of the above embodiment, the direction of movement of the stopped jackpot symbol (the direction indicated by the arrow ID) is different from the direction of movement in the variable display (the direction indicated by the arrow HD). With this configuration, the movement of the performance symbol that notifies the jackpot can be made more prominent, and the interest of the game can be improved.

[Effect 3]
In the gaming machine 1 of the above embodiment, the stopped big win symbol is displayed moving and framed out of the display screen 7a (FIGS. 81(D)(J), 82(D)(J), 83(D)(J)). According to this configuration, the performance symbol that notifies the big win not only starts to move, but also goes out of the screen, giving the player a surprise and increasing the interest of the game.

[Effect 4]
In the gaming machine 1 of the above embodiment, after the stopped jackpot symbol is displayed in a moving manner, a related image KG related to the jackpot symbol and an ally character image CRA not related to the jackpot symbol are displayed (FIG. 81 (E) (F) (K) (L), FIG. 82 (E) (F) (K) (L), FIG. 83 (E) (F) (K) (L)). With this configuration, the presentation after the jackpot notification becomes novel, and the interest in the game can be improved. Note that the related image KG corresponds to the "first image", the ally character image CRA corresponds to the "second image", and the image display presentation corresponds to the "third presentation".

[Effect 5]
In the gaming machine 1 of the above embodiment, a plurality of related images KG are displayed and moved in a group (FIG. 82(K)(L)). With this configuration, the presentation after the big win notification becomes more innovative, and the interest in the game can be increased.

[Effect 6]
In the gaming machine 1 of the above embodiment, the ally character image CRA is framed into the display screen 7a (FIGS. 81(E)(K), 82(E)(K), 83(E)(K)). This configuration makes the presentation after the big win notification even more innovative, thereby increasing the interest in the game.

[Modification]
Below, modified examples of the winning symbol movement presentation are shown.
[Modification 1]
In the above embodiment, the performance symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R are displayed moving in a direction different from the moving direction in the variable display. In contrast, the performance symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R may be configured to be displayed moving in the same direction as the moving direction in the variable display.

[Modification 2]
In the above embodiment, the related image KG and the smile image SG are displayed in front of the ally character image CRA (Figure). Alternatively, at least one of the related image KG and the smile image SG may be displayed behind the ally character image CRA. Also, at least one of the related image KG and the smile image SG may be displayed translucently so that the ally character image CRA on the rear side can be seen even when it overlaps with the ally character image CRA.

[Modification 3]
In the above embodiment, the related image KG and the smile image SG are moved from the right side to the left side of the display screen 7a. However, the related image KG and the smile image SG may be moved in any direction.

[Modification 4]
In the above embodiment, the direction of movement of the performance patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R is changed midway through (Figure 83 (I) (J)), but this direction of movement is not limited and may be any direction.

[Modification 5]
The display color and transparency of the related image KG and smiley image SG in the above embodiment may be changed stepwise or continuously during display.

[Example of embodiment]
In the gaming machine of this embodiment, the following aspects can be realized.
[Aspect B1-1]
A gaming machine that displays a varying pattern and notifies the winner of a lottery based on the stopping state of the pattern,
a performance execution means for executing a first performance of stopping and displaying a symbol in a winning state when the lottery is won, and then executing a second performance of moving the stopped and displayed symbol in the winning state in a specific direction;
A gaming machine characterized by:

[Aspect B1-2]
The gaming machine according to aspect B1-1,
The specific direction is a direction different from the moving direction in the variable display of the pattern.
A gaming machine characterized by:

[Aspect B1-3]
The gaming machine according to aspect B1-1 or B1-2,
The performance execution means causes the winning pattern to frame out from the display screen in the second performance.
A gaming machine characterized by:

[Aspect B1-4]
A gaming machine according to any one of Aspects B1-1 to B1-3,
The performance execution means is capable of executing a third performance of displaying a first image related to the symbol of the winning mode and a second image not related to the symbol of the winning mode after the second performance is executed.
A gaming machine characterized by:

[Aspect B1-5]
The gaming machine according to aspect B1-4,
The performance execution means displays a plurality of the first images in the third performance and moves the first images in a group.
A gaming machine characterized by:

[Aspect B1-6]
A gaming machine according to aspect B1-3 or B1-4,
The performance execution means, in the third performance, frames the second image into a display screen.
A gaming machine characterized by:

[Aspect B1-7]
A gaming machine according to any one of Aspects B1-3 to B1-6,
The performance execution means displays a third image different from the second image together with the second image in the third performance.
A gaming machine characterized by:

[Aspect B1-8]
The gaming machine according to aspect B1-7,
the performance execution means moves and displays the third images so as to form a group of the third images;
A gaming machine characterized by:

[Aspect B1-9]
A gaming machine according to any one of Aspects B1-1 to B1-8,
The performance execution means, in the second performance, moves the symbols of the winning mode in a first direction as the specific direction, and then moves them in a second direction different from the first direction as the specific direction.
A gaming machine characterized by:

The winning symbol mode change effects A to D are explained below with reference to Figures 84 to 86. These symbol mode change effects can be executed during a variation effect. That is, the image control microcomputer 101 analyzes the variation start command received from the sub-control board 90, and if the command to execute a symbol mode change effect is included, it reads out the corresponding image data from the ROM 103 and displays the image on the display screen 7a of the image display device 7.

FIG. 84 is a diagram for explaining the pattern mode change performance A and the pattern mode change performance B.
[Pattern Change Presentation A]
In the pattern change performance A, the performance patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R are displayed in a changing manner so that they move downward. The arrangement of the performance patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R on the left, center, and right is the same. When the performance patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R are displayed in a changing manner, the patterns are displayed in ascending order, such as "1" pattern → "2" pattern → "3" pattern → "4" pattern → "5" pattern → "6" pattern → "7" pattern → "1" pattern → ...

Figures 84 (A) to (F) are figures for explaining the pattern mode change presentation A.
First, as shown in Fig. 84 (A), a change start performance is executed. The change start performance is a performance in which the performance pattern starts to change. Here, the left, center, and right performance patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R start to change and change at high speed.

Next, as shown in Figure 84 (B), a reach formation effect is executed. A reach formation effect is an effect in which the effect symbols form a reach state and stop. Here, the left and right effect symbols 8L and 8R stop at the "6" pattern and form a reach state. At this time, the center effect symbol 8C continues to fluctuate at high speed.

When the effect button 63 is pressed after the reach formation effect, a mode change effect is executed as shown in FIG. 84 (C). The mode change effect is an effect that changes the mode of the effect pattern. Specifically, the left, center, and right effect patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R are changed from a mode in which they are composed of only identification information to a mode in which they are composed of identification information 8La, 8Ca, and 8Ra and picture information 8Lb, 8Cb, and 8Rb.

Next, as shown in FIG. 84(D), a middle symbol stop effect is executed. The middle symbol stop effect is an effect in which the movement speed of the middle symbol 8C slows down and the middle symbol 8C stops. Here, the "5" and "6" symbols included in the middle symbol 8C are displayed, and the "6" symbol is shown approaching the center in the vertical direction of the display screen 7a. The middle symbol 8C has also been changed to a form consisting of identification information 8Ca and picture information 8Cb. If there is a jackpot, the "6" symbol stops in the center of the display screen 7a, and if there is a loss, the "6" symbol does not stop in the center of the display screen 7a and the "7" symbol stops in the center of the display screen 7a. The explanation will continue assuming that there is a jackpot.

Next, as shown in FIG. 84(E), a jackpot notification effect is executed. The jackpot notification effect is an effect in which the effect symbols stop in a jackpot mode. Here, the effect symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R on the left, center, and right all stop as the "6" symbol. The effect symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R on the left, center, and right all have a mode in which they are composed of identification information 8La, 8Ca, and 8Ra and picture information 8Lb, 8Cb, and 8Rb.

Next, when a predetermined time has passed since the stop of the performance symbols, a mode change performance is executed as shown in FIG. 84 (F). A mode change performance is a performance that changes the mode of the performance symbols. Specifically, the left, center, and right performance symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R are changed from a mode consisting of identification information 8La, 8Ca, and 8Ra and picture information 8Lb, 8Cb, and 8Rb to a mode consisting of identification information only.

[Pattern Change Presentation B]
In the pattern change performance B, the performance patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R are displayed in a changing manner so that they move downward. The arrangement of the performance patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R on the left, center, and right is the same. When the performance patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R are displayed in a changing manner, the patterns are displayed in ascending order, such as "1" pattern → "2" pattern → "3" pattern → "4" pattern → "5" pattern → "6" pattern → "7" pattern → "1" pattern → ...

Figures 84 (G) to (L) are diagrams for explaining the pattern mode change presentation B.
First, as shown in Fig. 84 (G), a change start performance is executed. The change start performance is a performance in which the performance pattern starts to change. Here, the left, center, and right performance patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R start to change and change at high speed.

Next, as shown in Figure 84 (H), a reach formation effect is executed. A reach formation effect is an effect in which the effect symbols form a reach state and stop. Here, the left and right effect symbols 8L and 8R stop at the "6" pattern and form a reach state. At this time, the center effect symbol 8C continues to fluctuate at high speed.

When the effect button 63 is pressed after the reach formation effect, a mode change effect is executed as shown in FIG. 84 (I). The mode change effect is an effect that changes the mode of the effect pattern. Specifically, the left and right effect patterns 8L, 8R are changed from a mode consisting of only identification information to a mode consisting of identification information 8La, 8Ra and picture information 8Lb, 8Rb.

Next, as shown in FIG. 84(J), a middle symbol stop effect is executed. The middle symbol stop effect is an effect in which the movement speed of the middle symbol 8C slows down and the middle symbol 8C stops. Here, the "5" and "6" symbols included in the middle symbol 8C are displayed, and the "6" symbol is shown approaching the center in the vertical direction of the display screen 7a. The form of the middle symbol 8C is unchanged. If there is a jackpot, the "6" symbol stops in the center of the display screen 7a, and if there is a miss, the "6" symbol does not stop in the center of the display screen 7a and the "7" symbol stops in the center of the display screen 7a. The explanation will continue assuming there is a jackpot.

Next, as shown in FIG. 84 (K), a jackpot notification effect is executed. The jackpot notification effect is an effect in which the effect symbols stop in a jackpot mode. Here, the effect symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R on the left, center, and right all stop as "6" symbols. At this time, the effect symbols 8L and 8R on the left and right are configured with identification information 8La, 8Ca, and 8Ra and picture information 8Lb, 8Cb, and 8Rb.

Next, when a predetermined time has passed since the stop of the performance symbols, a mode change performance is executed as shown in FIG. 84 (L). A mode change performance is a performance that changes the mode of the performance symbols. Specifically, the left and right performance symbols 8L, 8R are changed from a mode in which they are composed of identification information 8La, 8Ra and picture information 8Lb, 8Rb to a mode in which they are composed of identification information only.

FIG. 85 is a diagram for explaining the pattern mode change presentation C.
[Pattern Change Presentation C]
In the pattern change performance C, the performance patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R are displayed in a variably downward manner. The arrangement of the performance patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R on the left, center, and right is the same. When the performance patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R are displayed in a variably manner, the patterns are displayed in ascending order, such as "1" pattern → "2" pattern → "3" pattern → "4" pattern → "5" pattern → "6" pattern → "7" pattern → "1" pattern → ...

First, as shown in FIG. 85(A), a change start effect is executed. A change start effect is an effect in which the effect symbols start to change. Here, the effect symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R on the left, center, and right are shown starting to change and changing at high speed.

Next, as shown in Figure 85 (B), a reach formation effect is executed. A reach formation effect is an effect in which the effect symbols form a reach state and stop. Here, the left and right effect symbols 8L and 8R stop at the "6" pattern and form a reach state. At this time, the center effect symbol 8C continues to fluctuate at high speed.

Next, as shown in FIG. 85(C), a middle symbol stop effect is executed. The middle symbol stop effect is an effect in which the movement speed of the middle symbol 8C slows down and the middle symbol 8C stops. Here, the "5" and "6" symbols contained in the middle symbol 8C are displayed, and the "6" symbol is shown approaching the center in the vertical direction of the display screen 7a.

When the effect button 63 is pressed during the middle symbol stop effect, a mode change effect is executed as shown in FIG. 85 (D). The mode change effect is an effect that changes the mode of the effect symbol. Specifically, the middle effect symbol 8C is changed from a mode consisting of only identification information to a mode consisting of identification information 8Ca and picture information 8Cb. If there is a jackpot, the "6" symbol stops in the center of the display screen 7a, and if there is a miss, the "6" symbol does not stop in the center of the display screen 7a, but the "7" symbol stops in the center of the display screen 7a. The explanation will continue assuming there is a jackpot.

Next, as shown in FIG. 85(E), a winning notification effect is executed. The winning notification effect is an effect in which the effect symbols stop in a jackpot mode. Here, the left, center, and right effect symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R all stop at the "6" symbol. Note that the center effect symbol 8C is configured with identification information 8Ca and picture information 8Cb.

Next, when a predetermined time has passed since the stop of the performance pattern, a mode change performance is executed as shown in FIG. 85 (F). A mode change performance is a performance that changes the mode of the performance pattern. Specifically, the middle performance pattern 8C is changed from a mode composed of identification information 8Ca and picture information 8Cb to a mode composed of identification information only.

Next, as shown in Figures 85 (G) to 85 (K), an image display and deletion effect is executed. The image display and deletion effect is an effect in which multiple predetermined images are displayed and then deleted. In this example, multiple smile images SG are displayed and then deleted. Images of different sizes are mixed in the multiple smile images SG.

First, as shown in FIG. 85(G), a performance in which smile images SG are displayed on the display screen 7a is repeated, and the performance symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R are hidden by the multiple smile images SG. Next, as shown in FIG. 85(H), the number of smile images SG increases on the display screen 7a, until almost the entire performance symbol is covered.

Next, as shown in Figure 85 (I), the smile images SG on the display screen 7a disappear one by one, approaching a state where the performance patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R can be seen. Next, as shown in Figure 85 (J), the number of smile images SG on the display screen 7a further decreases, approaching a state where the entire performance patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R can be seen. Then, as shown in Figure 85 (K), all smile images SG are erased from the display screen 7a.

In this series of image display and disappearance effects, the appearance of the effect symbols changes. Specifically, the left, center, and right effect symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R change from the normal "6" symbol to a "6" symbol that appears to be made up of segments. The timing of the change occurs while effect symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R are difficult to see. Of course, the timing of the change is not limited.

Next, as shown in FIG. 85(L), the left, center, and right effect patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R are enlarged and displayed. At this time, parts of the effect patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R may be framed out of the display screen 7a.

FIG. 86 is a diagram for explaining the pattern mode change performance D.
[Pattern mode change performance D]
In the pattern change performance D, the performance patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R are displayed in a changing manner so that they move downward. The arrangement of the performance patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R on the left, center, and right is the same. When the performance patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R are displayed in a changing manner, the patterns are displayed in ascending order, such as "1" pattern → "2" pattern → "3" pattern → "4" pattern → "5" pattern → "6" pattern → "7" pattern → "1" pattern → ...

First, as shown in FIG. 86(A), a change start effect is executed. A change start effect is an effect in which the effect symbols start changing. Here, the effect symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R on the left, center, and right are shown starting to change and changing at high speed.

Next, as shown in Figure 86 (B), a reach formation effect is executed. A reach formation effect is an effect in which the effect symbols form a reach state and stop. Here, the left and right effect symbols 8L and 8R stop at the "6" pattern and form a reach state. At this time, the center effect symbol 8C continues to fluctuate at high speed.

Next, as shown in FIG. 86(C), a middle symbol stop effect is executed. The middle symbol stop effect is an effect in which the movement speed of the middle symbol 8C slows down and the middle symbol 8C stops. Here, the "5" and "6" symbols contained in the middle symbol 8C are displayed, and the "6" symbol is shown approaching the center in the vertical direction of the display screen 7a.

When the effect button 63 is pressed during the middle symbol stop effect, a mode change effect is executed as shown in FIG. 86 (D). The mode change effect is an effect that changes the mode of the effect pattern. Specifically, the middle effect pattern 8C is changed from a mode consisting of only identification information to a mode consisting of identification information 8Ca and picture information 8Cb. If there is a jackpot, the "6" symbol stops in the center of the display screen 7a, and if there is a miss, the "6" symbol does not stop in the center of the display screen 7a, but the "7" symbol stops in the center of the display screen 7a. The explanation will continue assuming a jackpot.

Next, as shown in FIG. 86(E), a winning notification effect is executed. The winning notification effect is an effect in which the effect symbols stop in a jackpot mode. Here, the left, center, and right effect symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R all stop at the "6" symbol. The center effect symbol 8C is configured with identification information 8Ca and picture information 8Cb.

Next, when a predetermined time has passed since the stop of the performance pattern, a mode change performance is executed as shown in FIG. 86 (F). A mode change performance is a performance that changes the mode of the performance pattern. Specifically, the middle performance pattern 8C is changed from a mode composed of identification information 8Ca and picture information 8Cb to a mode composed of identification information only.

Next, as shown in Figures 86(G) to 86(I), an image movement effect is executed. The image movement effect is an effect in which multiple predetermined images are displayed and moved. Here, multiple ally character images MCG are moved so as to frame in from the right edge of the display screen 7a and frame out from the left edge. Images of different sizes are mixed among the multiple ally character images MCG. The ally character images MCG are images of ally characters similar to the images of the picture information 8Lb, 8Cb, and 8Rb when the state of the effect patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R changes, as described below. In other words, the ally character images MCG are images related to the effect patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R.

First, as shown in Figure 86 (G), the ally character image MCG frames in from the right edge of the display screen 7a and is moved to the left as indicated by the arrow GD. Here, the right performance pattern 8R is covered by the ally character image MCG, making it difficult to see. Next, as shown in Figure 86 (H), the ally character image MCG is further moved to the left on the display screen 7a as indicated by the arrow GD, making it difficult to see the middle performance pattern 8C and the right performance pattern 8R.

Next, as shown in FIG. 86(I), the ally character image MCG is further moved to the left as indicated by the arrow GD, framing out from the left edge of the display screen 7a. Here, the middle performance pattern 8C and the right performance pattern 8R are in a state where they are easily visible. The middle performance pattern 8C and the right performance pattern 8R have changed to a state where they are composed only of picture information 8Cb, 8Rb. At this time, the left performance pattern 8L is in a state where it is covered by the ally character image MCG. Then, as shown in FIG. 86(J), when all the ally character images MCG are framed out from the left edge of the display screen 7a, the left, center, and right performance patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R become visible. At this time, like the middle performance pattern 8C and the right performance pattern 8R, the left performance pattern 8L has also changed to a state where it is composed only of picture information 8Lb. The picture information 8Lb, 8Cb, and 8Rb are pictures of ally characters similar to those of the ally character image MCG.

Next, as shown in Figure 86 (J), a mode change effect is executed. A mode change effect is an effect that changes the mode of the effect pattern. Here, the left, center, and right effect patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R are changed from a mode consisting of only pattern information 8Lb, 8Cb, and 8Rb to a mode consisting of identification information 8La, 8Ca, and 8Ra and pattern information 8Lb, 8Cb, and 8Rb.

Next, as shown in FIG. 86 (L), a mode change effect is executed. A mode change effect is an effect that changes the mode of the effect pattern. Here, the left, center, and right effect patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R are changed from a mode consisting of identification information 8La, 8Ca, and 8Ra and picture information 8Lb, 8Cb, and 8Rb to a mode consisting of identification information only.

[Example of effect]
Below are examples of the effects of changing the pattern appearance.
[Effect 1]
In the gaming machine 1 of the above embodiment, the player changes the appearance of the effect symbols by pressing the effect button 63 (Figs. 84(C)-(E)(I)-(K), Figs. 85(D)(E), Fig. 86(D)(E)). With this configuration, the appearance of the effect symbols changes when the effect button 63 is pressed, which can increase the interest of the game. Note that the effect button 63 corresponds to the "operation means", the appearance of the effect symbols composed only of identification information corresponds to the "first appearance", the appearance of the effect symbols composed of identification information and picture information corresponds to the "second appearance", and the effect control microcomputer 91 corresponds to the "display control means".

[Effect 2]
In the gaming machine 1 of the above embodiment, the state of a specific performance pattern is changed. Specifically, the state of the left, center, and right performance patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R is changed (FIG. 84 (C) to (E)), the state of the left and right performance patterns 8L and 8R is changed (FIG. 84 (I) to (K)), and the state of the center performance pattern 8C is changed (FIG. 85 (D) (E), FIG. 86 (D) (E)). According to this configuration, the state of a specific performance pattern is changed by pressing the performance button 63, so that the interest of the game can be improved.

[Effect 3]
In the gaming machine 1 of the above embodiment, the state of the performance symbols is changed during the variable display (FIGS. 84(C)-(E)(I)-(K), 85(D)(E), 86(D)(E)). According to this configuration, the state of the performance symbols changes during the variable display, so the range of variable performance is expanded, and the interest in the game can be improved.

[Effect 4]
In the gaming machine 1 of the above embodiment, when the performance symbol that was being displayed in a variable manner is displayed in a stopped manner, the appearance of the performance symbol is returned to the original appearance (FIG. 84(F)(L), FIG. 85(F), FIG. 86(F)). According to this configuration, the appearance of the performance symbol changes with the stopped display, so the range of variable performance is expanded, and the interest of the game can be improved.

[Effect 5]
In the gaming machine 1 of the above embodiment, when the effect symbols are stopped and displayed in the form of a big win, multiple smile images SG are then displayed (FIG. 85 (G)-(K)), or multiple ally character images MCG are displayed (FIG. 86 (G)-(J)). With this configuration, after the effect symbols are stopped and displayed in the form of a big win, it is possible to give the player a surprise, and to increase the interest of the game. Note that the smile image SG and the ally character image CRA correspond to the "predetermined image", and the image display and erasure effect that displays multiple smile images SG and the image movement effect that moves multiple ally character images MCG correspond to the "group effect".

[Effect 6]
In the gaming machine 1 of the above embodiment, the appearance of the effect symbols changes with the image display/erasing effect that displays multiple smile images SG, and with the image movement effect that moves multiple ally character images MCG (Fig. 85 (K), Fig. 86 (J)). With this configuration, after the effect symbols are displayed stationary in the form of a big win, it is possible to give the player a further surprise, and to increase the interest of the game. The appearance of the "6" symbol made up of segments in Fig. 85 (K), and the appearance of the effect symbol made up only of picture information in Fig. 86 (J) correspond to the "third appearance".

[Modification]
The following shows modified examples of the pattern change performance.
[Modification 1]
In the above embodiment, the effect button 63 is pressed after the reach formation effect is displayed, but of course, the configuration may be such that the appearance of the effect pattern is changed by pressing the effect button 63 before the reach formation effect is displayed.

[Modification 2]
Although in the above embodiment, no particular effect is given to encourage pressing of the effect button 63, a configuration may be adopted in which an effect is given to encourage pressing of the effect button 63. For example, a button image imitating the effect button 63 is displayed on the display screen 7a, and a message image such as "Press" is displayed.

[Modification 3]
In the above embodiment, the appearance of the performance pattern is changed in accordance with the image display/deletion performance in which a plurality of smile images SG are displayed, and in accordance with the image movement performance in which a plurality of ally character images MCG are moved. At this time, all the appearances of the performance patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R on the left, center, and right are changed (FIG. 85 (K), FIG. 86 (J)). In contrast, a configuration may be adopted in which only the appearance of a specific performance pattern is changed. In other words, a configuration may be adopted in which the appearance of at least one of the performance patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R on the left, center, and right is changed.

[Example of embodiment]
In the gaming machine of this embodiment, the following aspects can be realized.
[Aspect B2-1]
A gaming machine that displays a varying pattern and notifies the winner of a lottery based on the stopping state of the pattern,
An operation means operable by a player;
and a display control means for changing the state of the pattern from a first state to a second state when the operation means is operated.
A gaming machine characterized by:

[Aspect B2-2]
The gaming machine according to aspect B2-1,
The display control means changes a specific pattern among the patterns from the first aspect to the second aspect.
A gaming machine characterized by:

[Aspect B2-3]
The gaming machine according to aspect B2-1 or B2-2,
The display control means changes the state of the pattern from the first state to the second state during the variable display of the pattern.
A gaming machine characterized by:

[Aspect B2-4]
The gaming machine according to aspect B2-3,
When the symbol is stopped and displayed, the display control means changes the appearance of the symbol from the second appearance to the first appearance.
A gaming machine characterized by:

[Aspect B2-5]
The gaming machine according to aspect B2-3 or B2-4,
The display control means executes a group performance in which a plurality of predetermined images are displayed after the symbols are stopped and displayed.
A gaming machine characterized by:

[Aspect B2-6]
The gaming machine according to aspect B2-5,
The display control means changes the pattern state to a third state in accordance with the group performance.
A gaming machine characterized by:

[Aspect B2-7]
The gaming machine according to aspect B2-6,
The display control means further changes the pattern, which has been changed to the third aspect, to a fourth aspect (FIG. 85(L), FIG. 86(K)).
A gaming machine characterized by:

[Aspect B2-8]
The gaming machine according to aspect B2-7,
The display control means returns the symbol that has been changed to the fourth aspect to the first aspect (FIG. 86(L)),
A gaming machine characterized by:

Below, the group preview consecutive performances A to F are explained using Figures 87 to 89. These group preview consecutive performances can be executed during a variation performance. That is, the image control microcomputer 101 analyzes the variation start command received from the sub-control board 90, and if it contains an instruction to execute a group preview consecutive performance, it reads out the corresponding image data from the ROM 103 and displays the image on the display screen 7a of the image display device 7.

Figure 87 is a diagram to explain group preview continuous performance A and group preview continuous performance B.
[Group Preview Continuous Performance A]
In the group preview continuous performance A, the performance symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R are displayed in a changing manner so that they move downward. The arrangement of the performance symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R on the left, center, and right is the same. When the performance symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R are displayed in a changing manner, the symbols are displayed in ascending order, such as "1" symbol → "2" symbol → "3" symbol → "4" symbol → "5" symbol → "6" symbol → "7" symbol → "1" symbol → ...

Figures 87 (A) to (F) are figures to explain the group preview continuous performance A.
After the start of the fluctuation performance, the reach formation performance is executed as shown in Fig. 87 (A). The reach formation performance is a performance in which the performance symbols form a reach state and stop. Here, the left and right performance symbols 8L and 8R stop at the "6" pattern and form a reach state. At this time, the center performance symbol 8C continues to fluctuate at high speed.

After the reach formation performance, a first group preview performance is executed, as shown in Figures 87 (B) and (C). The first group preview performance is a performance in which multiple ally character images MCG1 move so as to form a group. Specifically, multiple ally character images MCG1 of different sizes come into the frame from the right edge of the display screen 7a, move from the right to the left of the display screen 7a, and then frame out from the left edge of the display screen 7a. Here, the ally characters MCG1 are displayed moving at a first speed, as indicated by arrow v1.

In FIG. 87(B), the ally character image MCG1 is an opaque image, and the ally character image MCG1 overlaps with the right performance pattern 8R. In FIG. 87(C), the ally character image MCG1 has moved to the left side of the display screen 7a, and the ally character image MCG1 overlaps with the left performance pattern 8L.

After the first group preview performance, a second group preview performance is executed as shown in Figures 87 (D) and (E). The second group preview performance is a performance in which multiple ally character images MCG2 move so as to form a group. Specifically, multiple ally character images MCG2 of different sizes come into the frame from the right edge of the display screen 7a, move from the right side to the left side of the display screen 7a, and frame out from the left edge of the display screen 7a. Here, the ally characters MCG2 are displayed moving at a second speed, as shown by arrow v2.

In FIG. 87(D), the ally character image MCG2 is an opaque image, and the ally character image MCG2 is overlapped with the right performance pattern 8R and the left performance pattern 8L. In FIG. 87(E), the ally character image MCG2 has moved to the left side of the display screen 7a, and the ally character image MCG2 is overlapped with the left performance pattern 8L. Here, a middle pattern stop performance is executed. The middle pattern stop performance is a performance in which the moving speed of the middle performance pattern 8C slows down and the middle performance pattern 8C stops. Here, the "5" and "6" patterns included in the middle performance pattern 8C are displayed, and the "6" pattern is shown approaching the center in the vertical direction of the display screen 7a. If it is a big win, the "6" pattern stops in the center of the display screen 7a, and if it is a loss, the "6" pattern does not stop in the center of the display screen 7a, but the "7" pattern stops in the center of the display screen 7a. The explanation will continue assuming that it is a big win.

Next, as shown in FIG. 87(F), a jackpot notification effect is executed. The jackpot notification effect is an effect in which the effect symbols stop in a jackpot mode. Here, the effect symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R on the left, center, and right all stop at the "6" symbol.

[Group Preview Continuous Performance B]
In the group preview continuous performance B, the performance symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R are displayed in a changing manner so that they move downward. The arrangement of the performance symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R on the left, center, and right is the same. When the performance symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R are displayed in a changing manner, the symbols are displayed in ascending order, such as "1" symbol → "2" symbol → "3" symbol → "4" symbol → "5" symbol → "6" symbol → "7" symbol → "1" symbol → ...

Figures 87 (G) to (L) are diagrams for explaining the group preview continuous performance B.
After the start of the fluctuation performance, the reach formation performance is executed as shown in Fig. 87 (G). The reach formation performance is a performance in which the performance symbols form a reach state and stop. Here, the left and right performance symbols 8L and 8R stop at the "6" pattern and form a reach state. At this time, the center performance symbol 8C continues to fluctuate at high speed.

After the reach formation performance, a first group preview performance is executed as shown in Figure 87 (H) (I). The first group preview performance is a performance in which multiple ally character images MCG1 move so as to form a group. Specifically, multiple ally character images MCG1 of different sizes come into the frame from the right edge of the display screen 7a, move from the right side to the left side of the display screen 7a, and frame out from the left edge of the display screen 7a. Here, the ally characters MCG1 are displayed moving at a first speed, as indicated by arrow v1.

In Figure 87 (H), the ally character image MCG1 is an opaque image, and the ally character image MCG1 is overlapping with the right performance pattern 8R. In Figure 87 (I), the ally character image MCG1 has moved to the left side of the display screen 7a, and the ally character image MCG1 is overlapping with the left performance pattern 8L.

After the first group preview performance, a second group preview performance is executed as shown in Figure 87 (J) (K). The second group preview performance is a performance in which multiple ally character images MCG2 move so as to form a group. Specifically, multiple ally character images MCG2 of different sizes come into the frame from the top edge of the display screen 7a, move from the top to the bottom of the display screen 7a, and frame out from the bottom edge of the display screen 7a. Here, the ally characters MCG2 are displayed moving at a second speed, as shown by arrow v2.

In FIG. 87(J), the ally character image MCG2 is an opaque image, and the ally character image MCG2 is overlapped with the right effect pattern 8R and the left effect pattern 8L. In FIG. 87(K), the ally character image MCG2 moves to the bottom of the display screen 7a. Here, a middle pattern stop effect is executed. The middle pattern stop effect is an effect in which the moving speed of the middle effect pattern 8C slows down and the middle effect pattern 8C stops. Here, the "5" and "6" symbols included in the middle effect pattern 8C are displayed, and the "6" symbol is shown approaching the center in the vertical direction of the display screen 7a. If it is a jackpot, the "6" symbol stops in the center of the display screen 7a, and if it is a miss, the "6" symbol does not stop in the center of the display screen 7a, but the "7" symbol stops in the center of the display screen 7a. The explanation will continue assuming that it is a jackpot.

Next, as shown in FIG. 87(L), a jackpot notification effect is executed. The jackpot notification effect is an effect in which the effect symbols stop in the form of a jackpot. Here, the effect symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R on the left, center, and right all stop as the "6" symbol.

Figure 88 is a diagram to explain group preview continuous performance C and group preview continuous performance D.
[Group Preview Continuous Performance C]
In the group preview continuous performance C, the performance symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R are displayed in a changing manner so that they move downward. The arrangement of the performance symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R on the left, center, and right is the same. When the performance symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R are displayed in a changing manner, the symbols are displayed in ascending order, such as "1" symbol → "2" symbol → "3" symbol → "4" symbol → "5" symbol → "6" symbol → "7" symbol → "1" symbol → ...

Figures 88 (A) to (F) are figures to explain group preview continuous performance C.
After the start of the fluctuation performance, the reach formation performance is executed as shown in Fig. 88 (A). The reach formation performance is a performance in which the performance pattern forms a reach state and stops. Here, the left and right performance patterns 8L and 8R stop at the "6" pattern and form a reach state. At this time, the center performance pattern 8C continues to fluctuate at high speed.

After the reach formation performance, the first group preview performance is executed as shown in Figures 88 (B) and (C). The first group preview performance is a performance in which multiple ally character images MCG1 move so as to form a group. Specifically, multiple ally character images MCG1 of different sizes come into the frame from the right edge of the display screen 7a, move from the right side to the left side of the display screen 7a, and frame out from the left edge of the display screen 7a.

In FIG. 88(B), the ally character image MCG1 is an opaque image, and the ally character image MCG1 is overlapping with the right performance pattern 8R. At this time, it is displayed moving at a first speed as indicated by the arrow v1. In FIG. 88(C), the ally character image MCG1 has moved to the left side of the display screen 7a, and the ally character image MCG1 is overlapping with the left performance pattern 8L. At this time, the enemy character image TCG is displayed covering the right performance pattern. The movement speed of the ally character image MCG changes in conjunction with the display of this enemy character image TCG. Specifically, it is displayed moving at a third speed, which is slower than the first speed, as indicated by the arrow v3.

After the first group preview performance, a second group preview performance is executed as shown in Figures 88 (D) and (E). The second group preview performance is a performance in which multiple ally character images MCG2 move so as to form a group. Specifically, multiple ally character images MCG2 of different sizes come into the frame from the right edge of the display screen 7a, move from the right to the left of the display screen 7a, and frame out from the left edge of the display screen 7a. Here, the ally characters MCG2 are displayed moving at a second speed, as shown by arrow v2.

In FIG. 88(D), the ally character image MCG2 is an opaque image, and the ally character image MCG2 is overlapped with the right performance pattern 8R and the left performance pattern 8L. In FIG. 88(E), the ally character image MCG2 has moved to the left side of the display screen 7a, and the ally character image MCG2 is overlapped with the left performance pattern 8L. Here, a middle pattern stop performance is executed. The middle pattern stop performance is a performance in which the moving speed of the middle performance pattern 8C slows down and the middle performance pattern 8C stops. Here, the "5" and "6" patterns included in the middle performance pattern 8C are displayed, and the "6" pattern is shown approaching the center in the vertical direction of the display screen 7a. If it is a big win, the "6" pattern stops in the center of the display screen 7a, and if it is a loss, the "6" pattern does not stop in the center of the display screen 7a, but the "7" pattern stops in the center of the display screen 7a. The explanation will continue assuming that it is a big win.

Next, as shown in FIG. 88(F), a jackpot notification effect is executed. The jackpot notification effect is an effect in which the effect symbols stop in the form of a jackpot. Here, the effect symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R on the left, center, and right all stop as the "6" symbol.

[Group Preview Continuous Performance D]
In the group preview continuous performance D, the performance symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R are displayed in a changing manner so that they move downward. The arrangement of the performance symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R on the left, center, and right is the same. When the performance symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R are displayed in a changing manner, the symbols are displayed in ascending order, such as "1" symbol → "2" symbol → "3" symbol → "4" symbol → "5" symbol → "6" symbol → "7" symbol → "1" symbol → ...

Figures 88 (G) to (L) are diagrams for explaining the group preview continuous performance D.
After the start of the fluctuation performance, the reach formation performance is executed as shown in Fig. 88 (G). The reach formation performance is a performance in which the performance symbols form a reach state and stop. Here, the left and right performance symbols 8L and 8R stop at the "6" pattern and form a reach state. At this time, the center performance symbol 8C continues to fluctuate at high speed.

After the reach formation performance, a first group preview performance is executed as shown in Figure 88 (H) (I). The first group preview performance is a performance in which multiple ally character images MCG1 move so as to form a group. Specifically, multiple ally character images MCG1 of different sizes come into the frame from the right edge of the display screen 7a, move from the right side to the left side of the display screen 7a, and frame out from the left edge of the display screen 7a. Here, the ally characters MCG1 are displayed moving at a first speed, as indicated by arrow v1.

In Figure 88 (H), the ally character image MCG1 is an opaque image, and the ally character image MCG1 is overlapping with the right performance pattern 8R. In Figure 88 (I), the ally character image MCG1 has moved to the left side of the display screen 7a, and the ally character image MCG1 is overlapping with the left performance pattern 8L.

After the first group preview performance, as shown in Figure 88 (J) (K), the second group preview performance is executed. The second group preview performance is a performance in which multiple ally character images MCG2 move so that they form a group. Specifically, multiple ally character images MCG2 of different sizes frame in from the top edge of the display screen 7a, move from the top to the bottom of the display screen 7a, and frame out from the bottom edge of the display screen 7a.

In FIG. 88(J), the ally character image MCG2 is an opaque image, and the ally character image MCG2 is overlapped with the right performance pattern 8R and the left performance pattern 8L. At this time, the ally character image MCG2 is displayed moving at a second speed as shown by the arrow v2. In FIG. 88(K), the ally character image MCG2 is moving toward the bottom of the display screen 7a. Also, here, a middle pattern stop performance is executed. The middle pattern stop performance is a performance in which the moving speed of the middle performance pattern 8C slows down and the middle performance pattern 8C stops. Here, the "5" and "6" patterns included in the middle performance pattern 8C are displayed, and the "6" pattern is shown approaching the center in the vertical direction of the display screen 7a. At this time, the ally character image MCG2 is displayed moving at a fourth speed as shown by the arrow v4. The fourth speed changes according to the moving speed of the middle performance pattern 8C. If it is a jackpot, the "6" symbol will stop in the center of the display screen 7a, and if it is a miss, the "6" symbol will not stop in the center of the display screen 7a, but the "7" symbol will stop in the center of the display screen 7a. We will continue the explanation assuming it is a jackpot.

Next, as shown in FIG. 88 (L), a jackpot notification effect is executed. The jackpot notification effect is an effect in which the effect symbols stop in the form of a jackpot. Here, the effect symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R on the left, center, and right all stop as the "6" symbol.

Figure 89 is a diagram to explain group preview continuous performance E and group preview continuous performance F.
[Group Preview Continuous Performance E]
In the group preview continuous performance E, the performance symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R are displayed in a changing manner so that they move downward. The arrangement of the performance symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R on the left, center, and right is the same. When the performance symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R are displayed in a changing manner, the symbols are displayed in ascending order, such as "1" symbol → "2" symbol → "3" symbol → "4" symbol → "5" symbol → "6" symbol → "7" symbol → "1" symbol → ...

Figures 89 (A) to (F) are figures to explain the group preview continuous performance E.
After the start of the fluctuation performance, the reach formation performance is executed as shown in Fig. 89 (A). The reach formation performance is a performance in which the performance symbols form a reach state and stop. Here, the left and right performance symbols 8L and 8R stop at the "6" pattern and form a reach state. At this time, the center performance symbol 8C continues to fluctuate at high speed.

After the reach formation effect, the first group preview effect is executed as shown in Figures 89 (B) and (C). The first group preview effect is an effect in which multiple ally character images MCG1 move so as to form a group. Specifically, multiple ally character images MCG1 of different sizes come into the frame from the right edge of the display screen 7a, move from the right side to the left side of the display screen 7a, and frame out from the left edge of the display screen 7a.

In FIG. 89(B), the ally character image MCG1 is an opaque image, and the ally character image MCG1 is overlapping with the right performance pattern 8R. At this time, it is displayed moving at a first speed as indicated by the arrow v1. In FIG. 89(C), the ally character image MCG1 has moved to the left side of the display screen 7a, and the ally character image MCG1 is overlapping with the left performance pattern 8L. At this time, the enemy character image TCG is displayed in the center of the display screen 7a. The enemy character image TCG is displayed overlapping with the performance patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R. The movement speed of the ally character image MCG changes in accordance with the display of the enemy character image TCG. Specifically, it is displayed moving at a third speed, which is slower than the first speed, as indicated by the arrow v3.

After the first group preview performance, as shown in Figures 89 (D) and (E), a second group preview performance is executed. The second group preview performance is a performance in which multiple ally character images MCG2 move so as to form a group. Specifically, multiple ally character images MCG2 of different sizes come into the frame from the right edge of the display screen 7a, move from the right side to the left side of the display screen 7a, and frame out from the left edge of the display screen 7a. Here, the ally characters MCG2 are displayed moving at a second speed, as shown by arrow v2.

In FIG. 89(D), the ally character image MCG2 is an opaque image, and the ally character image MCG2 is overlapped with the right effect pattern 8R and the left effect pattern 8L. In FIG. 89(E), the ally character image MCG2 has moved to the left side of the display screen 7a, and the ally character image MCG2 is overlapped with the left effect pattern 8L. Here, a middle pattern stop effect is executed. The middle pattern stop effect is an effect in which the moving speed of the middle effect pattern 8C slows down and the middle effect pattern 8C stops. Here, the "5" and "6" symbols included in the middle effect pattern 8C are displayed, and the "6" symbol is shown approaching the center in the vertical direction of the display screen 7a. If it is a big win, the "6" symbol stops in the center of the display screen 7a, and if it is a loss, the "6" symbol does not stop in the center of the display screen 7a, but the "7" symbol stops in the center of the display screen 7a. The explanation will continue assuming that it is a big win.

Next, as shown in FIG. 89(F), a jackpot notification effect is executed. The jackpot notification effect is an effect in which the effect symbols stop in the form of a jackpot. Here, the effect symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R on the left, center, and right all stop as the "6" symbol.

[Group Preview Continuous Performance F]
In the group preview continuous performance F, the performance symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R are displayed in a changing manner so that they move downward. The arrangement of the performance symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R on the left, center, and right is the same. When the performance symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R are displayed in a changing manner, the symbols are displayed in ascending order, such as "1" symbol → "2" symbol → "3" symbol → "4" symbol → "5" symbol → "6" symbol → "7" symbol → "1" symbol → ...

Figures 89 (G) to (L) are diagrams for explaining the group preview continuous performance F.
After the start of the fluctuation performance, the reach formation performance is executed as shown in Fig. 89 (G). The reach formation performance is a performance in which the performance symbols form a reach state and stop. Here, the left and right performance symbols 8L and 8R stop at the "6" pattern and form a reach state. At this time, the center performance symbol 8C continues to fluctuate at high speed.

After the reach formation effect, the first group preview effect is executed as shown in Figure 89 (H) (I). The first group preview effect is an effect in which multiple ally character images MCG1 move so as to form a group. Specifically, multiple ally character images MCG1 of different sizes come into the frame from the right edge of the display screen 7a, move from the right side to the left side of the display screen 7a, and frame out from the left edge of the display screen 7a.

In FIG. 89(H), the ally character image MCG1 is an opaque image, and the ally character image MCG1 is overlapping with the right performance pattern 8R. At this time, it is displayed moving at a first speed as indicated by the arrow v1. In FIG. 89(C), the ally character image MCG1 has moved to the left side of the display screen 7a, and the ally character image MCG1 is overlapping with the left performance pattern 8L. At this time, the enemy character image TCG is displayed in the center of the display screen 7a. The enemy character image TCG is displayed overlapping with the performance patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R. The movement speed of the ally character image MCG changes in accordance with the display of the enemy character image TCG. Specifically, it is displayed moving at a third speed, which is slower than the first speed, as indicated by the arrow v3.

After the first group preview performance, as shown in Figure 89 (J) (K), the second group preview performance is executed. The second group preview performance is a performance in which multiple ally character images MCG2 move so that they form a group. Specifically, multiple ally character images MCG2 of different sizes frame in from the top edge of the display screen 7a, move from the top to the bottom of the display screen 7a, and frame out from the bottom edge of the display screen 7a.

In FIG. 89(J), the ally character image MCG2 is an opaque image, and the ally character image MCG2 is superimposed on the right performance pattern 8R and the left performance pattern 8L. At this time, the enemy character image TCG displayed in the first group preview performance continues to be displayed, and the ally character image MCG2 is displayed moving at the third speed as shown by the arrow v3. In FIG. 89(K), the ally character image MCG2 is moving to the bottom of the display screen 7a. Also, here, a middle pattern stop performance is executed. The middle pattern stop performance is a performance in which the moving speed of the middle performance pattern 8C slows down and the middle performance pattern 8C stops. Here, the "5" and "6" patterns included in the middle performance pattern 8C are displayed, and the "6" pattern is shown approaching the center in the vertical direction of the display screen 7a. At this time, the ally character image MCG2 is displayed moving at the fourth speed as shown by the arrow v4. The fourth speed changes according to the moving speed of the middle performance pattern 8C. If it is a jackpot, the "6" symbol will stop in the center of the display screen 7a, and if it is a miss, the "6" symbol will not stop in the center of the display screen 7a, but the "7" symbol will stop in the center of the display screen 7a. We will continue the explanation assuming it is a jackpot.

Next, as shown in FIG. 89 (L), a jackpot notification effect is executed. The jackpot notification effect is an effect in which the effect symbols stop in the form of a jackpot. Here, the effect symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R on the left, center, and right all stop as the "6" symbol.

[Example of effect]
Below are some examples of the effects of the continuous group preview performance.
[Effect 1]
In the gaming machine 1 of the above embodiment, a first group preview performance is executed in which a plurality of ally character images MCG1 are moved so as to form a group, and then a second group preview performance is executed in which a plurality of ally character images MCG2 are moved so as to form a group (FIGS. 87(B)-(E)(H)-(K), FIG. 88(B)-(E)(H)-(K), FIG. 89(B)-(E)(H)-(K)). According to this configuration, the preview performance in the variable performance becomes novel, and the interest of the game can be improved. Note that the ally character MCG1 corresponds to the "first image", the first group preview performance corresponds to the "first performance", the ally character MCG2 corresponds to the "second image", the second group preview performance corresponds to the "second performance", and the performance control microcomputer 91 corresponds to the "performance execution means".

[Effect 2]
In the gaming machine 1 of the above embodiment, the moving speed of the ally character image MCG1 in the first group preview performance and the moving speed of the ally character image MCG2 in the second group preview performance are changed (FIGS. 88(B)(C)(J)(K), 89(B)(C)(H)-(K)). With this configuration, the preview performance in the variable performance becomes even more innovative, and the interest in the game can be increased.

[Effect 3]
In the gaming machine 1 of the above embodiment, the ally character image MCG1 in the first group preview performance and the ally character image MCG2 in the second group preview performance are moved in different directions (FIGS. 87(H)-(K), 88(H)-(K), 89(H)-(K)). With this configuration, the preview performance in the variable performance becomes even more innovative, and the interest in the game can be increased.

[Effect 4]
In the gaming machine 1 of the above embodiment, an enemy character image TCG is displayed that overlaps with the performance pattern in at least one of the first group preview performance and the second group preview performance (FIG. 88(C)(I), FIG. 89(C)(I)(J)). With this configuration, the display of the enemy character image TCG is likely to surprise the player, and the interest of the game can be increased. The enemy character image TCG corresponds to the "third image."

[Effect 5]
In the gaming machine 1 of the above embodiment, the enemy character image TCG is displayed superimposed on the effect symbols to make it difficult to see the specific effect symbols (FIG. 88(C)(I), FIG. 89(C)(I)(J)). With this configuration, the display of the enemy character image TCG is highly likely to surprise the player, and the interest of the game can be improved.

[Effect 6]
In the gaming machine 1 of the above embodiment, at least one of the ally character image MCG1 in the first group preview performance and the ally character image MCG2 in the second group preview performance is displayed in front of the enemy character image TCG (FIG. 89(C)(I)(J)). With this configuration, the movement display of the ally character images MCG1 and MCG2 stands out, making the game more interesting.

[Modification]
Below, variations of the group preview continuous performance are shown.
[Modification 1]
In the above embodiment, the ally character images MCG1, MCG2 are moved at a third speed slower than the first speed in association with the display of the enemy character image TCG. In this case, the third speed may be set to "0" and the movement of the ally character images MCG1, MCG2 may be temporarily stopped. In this case, it is conceivable that the movement of the ally character images MCG1, MCG2 may be resumed at the timing when the enemy character image TCG is no longer displayed. Alternatively, the third speed may be changed finely.

[Modification 2]
In the above embodiment, the enemy character image TCG covers a part of the effect symbols. In contrast, the enemy character image TCG may be displayed to cover the entire display screen 7a, covering the entire effect symbols. In this way, the effect symbols may become temporarily difficult to see, which may increase the expectation of the subsequent variable display, thereby improving the interest of the game.

[Modification 3]
In the above embodiment, the fourth speed was set according to the moving speed of the middle performance pattern 8C. This fourth speed may be the same as the moving speed of the middle performance pattern 8C, or may be twice as fast or half as fast as the moving speed of the middle performance pattern 8C.

[Modification 4]
In the above embodiment, the first group notice performance and the second group notice performance are executed after the reach is formed, but the execution timing of the first group notice performance and the second group notice performance is not particularly limited. For example, both the first group notice performance and the second group notice performance may be executed before the reach is formed. Also, for example, the first group notice performance may be executed before the reach is formed, and the second group notice performance may be executed after the reach is formed. As the timing before the reach is formed, it may be the timing immediately after the start of the fluctuation or the timing of the left pattern stopping. As the timing after the reach is formed, it may be the timing immediately after the reach is formed as in this embodiment, or the timing after the fluctuating middle performance pattern becomes visible.

[Modification 5]
In the above embodiment, the effect symbol may be upgraded at the timing when the enemy character image TCG and the ally character images MCG1 and MCG2 make the effect symbol difficult to see. For example, the reach symbol may be upgraded to an advantageous reach symbol.

[Modification 6]
In the above embodiment, at least one of the enemy character image TCG and the ally character images MCG1, MCG2 may be an image having transparency such as transparent or semi-transparent, or the transparency may be changed during the performance.

[Example of embodiment]
In the gaming machine of this embodiment, the following aspects can be realized.
[Aspect B3-1]
A gaming machine that displays a varying pattern and notifies the winner of a lottery based on the stopping state of the pattern,
a performance execution means capable of executing a first performance in which a plurality of first images are moved so that the first images form a group, and then executing a second performance in which a plurality of second images different from the first images are moved so that the plurality of second images form a group;
A gaming machine characterized by:

[Aspect B3-2]
The gaming machine according to aspect B3-1,
The performance execution means changes at least one of a moving speed of the first image in the first performance and a moving speed of the second image in the second performance,
A gaming machine characterized by:

[Aspect B3-3]
The gaming machine according to aspect B3-1 or B3-2,
The performance execution means moves the first image in the first performance and the second image in the second performance in different directions.
A gaming machine characterized by:

[Aspect B3-4]
A gaming machine according to any one of Aspects B3-1 to B3-3,
The effect execution means displays a third image superimposed on the symbol in at least one of the first effect and the second effect.
A gaming machine characterized by:

[Aspect B3-5]
The gaming machine according to aspect B3-4,
The effect execution means displays the third image superimposed on the symbol, thereby making it difficult to see the specific symbol.
A gaming machine characterized by:

[Aspect B3-6]
A gaming machine according to aspect B3-4 or B3-5,
The performance execution means displays at least one of the first image in the first performance and the second image in the second performance on a front side of the third image.
A gaming machine characterized by:

The multiple image movement performances A to F are explained below using Figures 90 to 92. These multiple image movement performances can be executed during a fluctuation performance. That is, the image control microcomputer 101 analyzes the fluctuation start command received from the sub-control board 90, and if it contains an instruction to execute a multiple image movement performance, it reads out the corresponding image data from the ROM 103 and displays the image on the display screen 7a of the image display device 7.

Figure 90 is a diagram for explaining multiple image movement performance A and multiple image movement performance B.
[Multiple Image Movement A]
In the multiple image movement performance A, the performance symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R are displayed in a variably downward manner. The arrangement of the performance symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R on the left, center, and right is the same. When the performance symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R are displayed in a variably manner, the symbols are displayed in ascending order: "1" symbol → "2" symbol → "3" symbol → "4" symbol → "5" symbol → "6" symbol → "7" symbol → "1" symbol → ...

Figures 90 (A) to (F) are figures to explain multiple image movement performance A.
After the start of the fluctuation performance, the reach formation performance is executed as shown in Fig. 90 (A). The reach formation performance is a performance in which the performance symbols form a reach state and stop. Here, the left and right performance symbols 8L and 8R stop at the "6" pattern and form a reach state. At this time, the center performance symbol 8C continues to fluctuate at high speed.

After the reach formation effect, an image movement effect is executed as shown in Figures 90 (B) to (E). In the image movement effect, multiple ally character images MCG that frame in from the bottom edge of the display screen 7a are moved upward and frame out from the top edge, and multiple enemy character images TCG that frame in from the top edge of the display screen 7a are moved downward and frame out from the bottom edge in parallel.

In FIG. 90(B), on the display screen 7a, four ally character images MCG are displayed moving in the direction indicated by the arrow MD in front of the performance symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R. Furthermore, three enemy character images TCG are displayed moving in the direction indicated by the arrow TD in front of the ally character images MCG.

In FIG. 90(C), three enemy character images TCG are displayed on the display screen 7a in front of the performance symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R, moving in the direction indicated by the arrow TD. Here, all of the friendly character images MCG are framed out of the display screen 7a, and only the enemy character image TCG is displayed.

In Figure 90 (D), five ally character images MCG are displayed moving in the direction indicated by the arrow MD in front of the effect patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R on the display screen 7a. In addition, three enemy character images TCG are displayed moving in the direction indicated by the arrow TD in front of the ally character images MCG. Note that the effect patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R are difficult to see here.

In FIG. 90(E), two enemy character images TCG are displayed in front of the effect symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R on the display screen 7a, moving in the direction indicated by the arrow TD. Here, all of the ally character images MCG are framed out of the display screen 7a, and only the enemy character image TCG is displayed. Here, a middle pattern stop effect is executed. The middle pattern stop effect is an effect in which the movement speed of the middle effect symbol 8C slows down and the middle effect symbol 8C stops. Here, the "5" and "6" symbols included in the middle effect symbol 8C are displayed, and the "6" symbol is shown approaching the center in the vertical direction of the display screen 7a. If it is a big win, the "6" symbol stops in the center of the display screen 7a, and if it is a loss, the "6" symbol does not stop in the center of the display screen 7a, but the "7" symbol stops in the center of the display screen 7a. The explanation will continue assuming that it is a big win.

Next, as shown in FIG. 90(F), a jackpot notification effect is executed. The jackpot notification effect is an effect in which the effect symbols stop in the form of a jackpot. Here, the effect symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R on the left, center, and right all stop as the "6" symbol. When all of the effect symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R are displayed stopped, the image movement effect ends.

[Multiple image movement effect B]
In the multiple image movement performance B, the performance symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R are displayed in a variably downward manner. The arrangement of the performance symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R on the left, center, and right is the same. When the performance symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R are displayed in a variably manner, the symbols are displayed in ascending order: "1" symbol → "2" symbol → "3" symbol → "4" symbol → "5" symbol → "6" symbol → "7" symbol → "1" symbol → ...

Figures 90 (G) to (L) are figures to explain multiple image movement performance B.
After the start of the fluctuation performance, the reach formation performance is executed as shown in Fig. 90 (G). The reach formation performance is a performance in which the performance symbols form a reach state and stop. Here, the left and right performance symbols 8L and 8R stop at the "6" pattern and form a reach state. At this time, the center performance symbol 8C continues to fluctuate at high speed.

After the reach formation effect, an image movement effect is executed as shown in Figures 90 (H) to (K). In the image movement effect, multiple friendly character images MCG that frame in from the bottom edge of the display screen 7a are moved upward and frame out from the top edge, and multiple enemy character images TCG that frame in from the right edge of the display screen 7a are moved leftward and frame out from the left edge, in parallel.

In FIG. 90(H), on the display screen 7a, four ally character images MCG are displayed moving in the direction indicated by the arrow MD in front of the performance symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R. Furthermore, three enemy character images TCG are displayed moving in the direction indicated by the arrow TD in front of the ally character images MCG.

In FIG. 90(I), three enemy character images TCG are displayed on the display screen 7a in front of the performance symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R, moving in the direction indicated by the arrow TD. Here, all of the friendly character images MCG are framed out of the display screen 7a, and only the enemy character images TCG are displayed.

In FIG. 90(J), five ally character images MCG are displayed moving in the direction indicated by the arrow MD in front of the performance symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R on the display screen 7a. In addition, three enemy character images TCG are displayed moving in the direction indicated by the arrow TD in front of the ally character images MCG.

In FIG. 90(K), two enemy character images TCG are displayed in front of the effect symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R on the display screen 7a, moving in the direction indicated by the arrow TD. Here, all of the ally character images MCG are framed out of the display screen 7a, and only the enemy character image TCG is displayed. Here, a middle pattern stop effect is executed. The middle pattern stop effect is an effect in which the movement speed of the middle effect symbol 8C slows down and the middle effect symbol 8C stops. Here, the "5" and "6" symbols included in the middle effect symbol 8C are displayed, and the "6" symbol is shown approaching the center in the vertical direction of the display screen 7a. If it is a big win, the "6" symbol stops in the center of the display screen 7a, and if it is a loss, the "6" symbol does not stop in the center of the display screen 7a, but the "7" symbol stops in the center of the display screen 7a. The explanation will continue assuming that it is a big win.

Next, as shown in FIG. 90 (L), a jackpot notification effect is executed. The jackpot notification effect is an effect in which the effect symbols stop in the form of a jackpot. Here, the effect symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R on the left, center, and right all stop as the "6" symbol. When all of the effect symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R are displayed stopped, the image movement effect ends.

Figure 91 is a diagram for explaining multiple image movement performance C and multiple image movement performance D.
[Multiple image movement effect C]
In the multiple image movement performance C, the performance symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R are displayed in a changing manner so as to move downward. The arrangement of the performance symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R on the left, center, and right is the same. When the performance symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R are displayed in a changing manner, the symbols are displayed in ascending order, such as "1" symbol → "2" symbol → "3" symbol → "4" symbol → "5" symbol → "6" symbol → "7" symbol → "1" symbol → ...

Figures 91 (A) to (F) are figures to explain multiple image movement performance C.
After the start of the fluctuation performance, the reach formation performance is executed as shown in Fig. 91 (A). The reach formation performance is a performance in which the performance symbols form a reach state and stop. Here, the left and right performance symbols 8L and 8R stop at the "6" pattern and form a reach state. At this time, the center performance symbol 8C continues to fluctuate at high speed.

After the reach formation effect, an image movement effect is executed as shown in Figures 91 (B) to (E). In the image movement effect, multiple ally character images MCG that frame in from the bottom edge of the display screen 7a are moved upward and frame out from the top edge, and multiple enemy character images TCG that frame in from the top edge of the display screen 7a are moved downward and frame out from the bottom edge in parallel.

In FIG. 91(B), on the display screen 7a, four ally character images MCG1 are displayed moving in the direction indicated by the arrow MD1. In addition to the ally character image MCG1, two ally character images MCG2 are displayed moving in the direction indicated by the arrow MD2. Furthermore, three enemy character images TCG are displayed moving in the direction indicated by the arrow TD. In terms of the anteroposterior relationship between the images, the performance patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R are displayed at the furthest back, and from the back, the order is ally character image MCG1, enemy character image TCG, and ally character image MCG2.

In FIG. 91(C), three enemy character images TCG are displayed on the display screen 7a in front of the performance symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R, moving in the direction indicated by the arrow TD. Here, all of the friendly character images MCG1 and MCG2 are framed out of the display screen 7a, and only the enemy character image TCG is displayed.

In FIG. 91 (D), five ally character images MCG1 are displayed moving in the direction indicated by the arrow MD1 on the display screen 7a. Two ally character images MCG2 are displayed moving in the direction indicated by the arrow MD2. Furthermore, three enemy character images TCG are displayed moving in the direction indicated by the arrow TD. In terms of the anteroposterior relationship between the images, the performance patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R are displayed at the furthest back, and from the back, the order is ally character image MCG1, enemy character image TCG, and ally character image MCG2.

In FIG. 91(E), two enemy character images TCG are displayed in front of the effect symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R on the display screen 7a, moving in the direction indicated by the arrow TD. Here, all of the ally character images MCG1 and MCG2 are framed out of the display screen 7a, and only the enemy character image TCG is displayed. Here, a middle pattern stop effect is executed. The middle pattern stop effect is an effect in which the movement speed of the middle effect symbol 8C slows down and the middle effect symbol 8C stops. Here, the "5" and "6" symbols included in the middle effect symbol 8C are displayed, and the "6" symbol is shown approaching the center in the vertical direction of the display screen 7a. If it is a big win, the "6" symbol stops in the center of the display screen 7a, and if it is a loss, the "6" symbol does not stop in the center of the display screen 7a, but the "7" symbol stops in the center of the display screen 7a. The explanation will continue assuming that it is a big win.

Next, as shown in FIG. 91 (F), a jackpot notification effect is executed. The jackpot notification effect is an effect in which the effect symbols stop in the form of a jackpot. Here, the effect symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R on the left, center, and right all stop as the "6" symbol. When all of the effect symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R are displayed stopped, the image movement effect ends.

[Multiple Image Movement Presentation D]
In the multiple image movement performance D, the performance symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R are displayed in a changing manner so as to move downward. The arrangement of the performance symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R on the left, center, and right is the same. When the performance symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R are displayed in a changing manner, the symbols are displayed in ascending order, such as "1" symbol → "2" symbol → "3" symbol → "4" symbol → "5" symbol → "6" symbol → "7" symbol → "1" symbol → ...

Figures 91 (G) to (L) are figures for explaining multiple image movement performance D.
After the start of the fluctuation performance, the reach formation performance is executed as shown in Fig. 91 (G). The reach formation performance is a performance in which the performance symbols form a reach state and stop. Here, the left and right performance symbols 8L and 8R stop at the "6" pattern and form a reach state. At this time, the center performance symbol 8C continues to fluctuate at high speed.

After the reach formation effect, an image movement effect is executed as shown in Figures 91 (H) to (K). In the image movement effect, multiple ally character images MCG that frame in from the bottom edge of the display screen 7a are moved upward and frame out from the top edge, and multiple enemy character images TCG that frame in from the top edge of the display screen 7a are moved downward and frame out from the bottom edge in parallel.

In FIG. 91(H), four ally character images MCG1 are displayed on the display screen 7a, moving in the direction indicated by the arrow MD1. In addition, two ally character images MCG2, which are separate from the ally character image MCG1, are displayed moving in the direction indicated by the arrow MD2. Furthermore, two enemy character images TCG1 and one enemy character image TCG2, which has a different display color from the enemy character image TCG1, are displayed moving in the direction indicated by the arrow TD. In terms of the anteroposterior relationship between the images, the performance patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R are displayed at the furthest back, and from the back, the order is ally character image MCG1, enemy character image TCG1, TCG2, ally character image MCG2.

In Figure 91 (I), two enemy character images TCG1 and one enemy character image TCG2 are displayed moving in the direction indicated by the arrow TD in front of the performance symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R on the display screen 7a. Here, all of the friendly character images MCG1 and MCG2 are framed out of the display screen 7a, and only the enemy character images TCG1 and TCG2 are displayed.

In FIG. 91 (J), five ally character images MCG1 are displayed on the display screen 7a, moving in the direction indicated by the arrow MD1. Two ally character images MCG2 are displayed in the direction indicated by the arrow MD2. Furthermore, two enemy character images TCG1 and one enemy character image TCG2 are displayed in the direction indicated by the arrow TD. In terms of the anteroposterior relationship between the images, the performance patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R are displayed at the furthest back, and from the back, the order is ally character image MCG1, enemy character images TCG1, TCG2, and ally character image MCG2.

In FIG. 91 (K), one enemy character image TCG1 and one enemy character image TCG2 are displayed moving in the direction indicated by the arrow TD in front of the performance symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R on the display screen 7a. Here, all of the ally character images MCG1 and MCG2 are framed out of the display screen 7a, and only the enemy character images TCG1 and TCG2 are displayed. Here, a middle pattern stop performance is executed. The middle pattern stop performance is a performance in which the moving speed of the middle performance symbol 8C slows down and the middle performance symbol 8C stops. Here, the "5" and "6" symbols included in the middle performance symbol 8C are displayed, and the "6" symbol is shown approaching the center in the vertical direction of the display screen 7a. If it is a big win, the "6" symbol stops in the center of the display screen 7a, and if it is a loss, the "6" symbol does not stop in the center of the display screen 7a, but the "7" symbol stops in the center of the display screen 7a. I will continue the explanation assuming it is a big hit.

Next, as shown in FIG. 91 (L), a jackpot notification effect is executed. The jackpot notification effect is an effect in which the effect symbols stop in the form of a jackpot. Here, the effect symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R on the left, center, and right all stop as the "6" symbol. When all of the effect symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R are displayed stopped, the image movement effect ends.

Figure 92 is a diagram for explaining multiple image movement performance E and multiple image movement performance F.
[Multiple image movement effect E]
In the multiple image movement effect E, the effect patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R are displayed in a variably downward manner. The arrangement of the effect patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R on the left, center, and right is the same. When the effect patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R are displayed in a variably manner, the patterns are displayed in ascending order, such as "1" → "2" → "3" → "4" → "5" → "6" → "7" → "1" → ...

Figures 92 (A) to (F) are figures to explain multiple image movement performance E.
After the fluctuation start performance, the reach formation performance is executed as shown in Fig. 92 (A). The reach formation performance is a performance in which the performance symbols form a reach state and stop. Here, the left and right performance symbols 8L and 8R stop at the "6" pattern and form a reach state. At this time, the center performance symbol 8C continues to fluctuate at high speed. Also, the enemy character image TCG is displayed moving in the direction indicated by the arrow TDB.

After the reach formation effect, an image movement effect is executed as shown in Figures 92 (B) to (E). In the image movement effect, multiple ally character images MCG that frame in from the bottom edge of the display screen 7a are moved upward and frame out from the top edge, and multiple enemy character images TCG that frame in from the top edge of the display screen 7a are moved downward and frame out from the bottom edge in parallel.

In FIG. 92(B), on the display screen 7a, four ally character images MCG are displayed moving in the direction indicated by the arrow MD in front of the performance symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R. Furthermore, three enemy character images TCG are displayed moving in the direction indicated by the arrow TD in front of the ally character images MCG.

In FIG. 92(C), three enemy character images TCG are displayed on the display screen 7a in front of the performance symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R, moving in the direction indicated by the arrow TD. Here, all of the friendly character images MCG are framed out of the display screen 7a, and only the enemy character image TCG is displayed.

In FIG. 92(D), five ally character images MCG are displayed moving in the direction indicated by the arrow MD in front of the effect patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R on the display screen 7a. In addition, three enemy character images TCG are displayed moving in the direction indicated by the arrow TD in front of the ally character images MCG. Note that the effect patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R are difficult to see here.

In FIG. 92(E), two enemy character images TCG are displayed in front of the performance symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R on the display screen 7a, moving in the direction indicated by the arrow TD. Here, all of the ally character images MCG are framed out of the display screen 7a, and only the enemy character image TCG is displayed. The left and right performance symbols 8L and 8R, which are reach symbols, are changed to "7" symbols, and a middle pattern stop performance is executed here. The middle pattern stop performance is a performance in which the moving speed of the middle performance symbol 8C slows down and the middle performance symbol 8C stops. Here, the "6" and "7" symbols included in the middle performance symbol 8C are displayed, and the "7" symbol is shown approaching the center in the vertical direction of the display screen 7a. If it is a big win, the "7" symbol stops in the center of the display screen 7a, and if it is a miss, the "7" symbol does not stop in the center of the display screen 7a, but the "8" symbol stops in the center of the display screen 7a. I will continue the explanation assuming it is a big hit.

Next, as shown in FIG. 92 (F), a jackpot notification effect is executed. The jackpot notification effect is an effect in which the effect symbols stop in the form of a jackpot. Here, the effect symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R on the left, center, and right all stop as the "7" symbol. When all of the effect symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R are displayed stopped, the image movement effect ends.

[Multiple image movement effect F]
In the multiple image movement effect F, the effect patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R are displayed in a changing manner so as to move downward. The arrangement of the effect patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R on the left, center, and right is the same. When the effect patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R are displayed in a changing manner, the patterns are displayed in ascending order, such as "1" pattern → "2" pattern → "3" pattern → "4" pattern → "5" pattern → "6" pattern → "7" pattern → "1" pattern → ...

Figures 92 (G) to (L) are figures to explain multiple image movement performance F.
After the fluctuation start performance, the reach formation performance is executed as shown in Fig. 92 (G). The reach formation performance is a performance in which the performance symbols form a reach state and stop. Here, the left and right performance symbols 8L and 8R stop at the "6" pattern and form a reach state. At this time, the center performance symbol 8C continues to fluctuate at high speed. Also, the enemy character image TCG is displayed moving in the direction indicated by the arrow TDB.

After the reach formation effect, an image movement effect is executed as shown in Figures 92 (H) to (K). In the image movement effect, multiple friendly character images MCG that frame in from the bottom edge of the display screen 7a are moved upward and frame out from the top edge, and multiple enemy character images TCG that frame in from the right edge of the display screen 7a are moved leftward and frame out from the left edge, in parallel.

In FIG. 92(H), on the display screen 7a, four ally character images MCG are displayed moving in the direction indicated by the arrow MD in front of the performance symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R. Furthermore, three enemy character images TCG are displayed moving in the direction indicated by the arrow TD in front of the ally character images MCG.

In FIG. 92(I), three enemy character images TCG are displayed on the display screen 7a in front of the performance symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R, moving in the direction indicated by the arrow TD. Here, all of the friendly character images MCG are framed out of the display screen 7a, and only the enemy character image TCG is displayed.

In Figure 92 (J), five ally character images MCG are displayed moving in the direction indicated by the arrow MD in front of the effect patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R on the display screen 7a. In addition, three enemy character images TCG are displayed moving in the direction indicated by the arrow TD in front of the ally character images MCG. Note that the effect patterns 8L, 8C, and 8R are difficult to see here.

In FIG. 92(K), two enemy character images TCG are displayed in front of the performance symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R on the display screen 7a, moving in the direction indicated by the arrow TD. Here, all of the ally character images MCG are framed out of the display screen 7a, and only the enemy character image TCG is displayed. The left and right performance symbols 8L and 8R, which are reach symbols, are changed to "7" symbols, and a middle pattern stop performance is executed here. The middle pattern stop performance is a performance in which the movement speed of the middle performance symbol 8C slows down and the middle performance symbol 8C stops. Here, the "6" and "7" symbols included in the middle performance symbol 8C are displayed, and the "7" symbol is shown approaching the center in the vertical direction of the display screen 7a. If it is a big win, the "7" symbol stops in the center of the display screen 7a, and if it is a miss, the "7" symbol does not stop in the center of the display screen 7a, but the "8" symbol stops in the center of the display screen 7a. I will continue the explanation assuming it is a big hit.

Next, as shown in FIG. 92 (F), a jackpot notification effect is executed. The jackpot notification effect is an effect in which the effect symbols stop in the form of a jackpot. Here, the effect symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R on the left, center, and right all stop as the "7" symbol. When all of the effect symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R are displayed stopped, the image movement effect ends.

[Example of effect]
Below are some examples of the effects of moving multiple images.
[Effect 1]
In the gaming machine 1 of the above embodiment, a performance of moving a plurality of ally character images MCG, MCG1 in the direction indicated by the arrows MD, MD1 and a performance of moving a plurality of enemy character images TCG, TCG1, TCG2 in the direction indicated by the arrow TD are executed in parallel (FIGS. 90(B)(D)(H)(J), 91(B)(D)(H)(J), 92(B)(D)(H)(J)). According to this configuration, the plurality of ally character images MCG, MCG1 and the plurality of enemy character images TCG, TCG1, TCG2 are displayed moving in parallel, so that the change performance becomes novel and the interest of the game can be increased. In addition, the ally character images MCG, MCG1 correspond to the "first image", the direction indicated by the arrows MD, MD1 corresponds to the "first direction", the presentation of moving multiple ally character images MCG, MCG1 corresponds to the "first presentation", the enemy character images TCG, TCG1, TCG2 correspond to the "second image", the direction indicated by the arrow TD corresponds to the "second direction", the presentation of moving multiple enemy character images TCG, TCG1, TCG2 corresponds to the "second presentation", and the presentation control microcomputer 91 corresponds to the "presentation execution means".

[Effect 2]
In the gaming machine 1 of the above embodiment, when the ally character image MCG1 is moved, multiple ally character images MCG2 are moved (FIG. 91 (B) (D) (H) (J)). Also, when the enemy character image TCG1 is moved, the enemy character image TCG2 with a different display color is moved (FIG. 91 (H) to (K)). With this configuration, the variation presentation becomes even more innovative, and the interest of the game can be increased. The ally character image MCG2 and the enemy character image TCG2 correspond to the "third image."

[Effect 3]
In the gaming machine 1 of the above embodiment, a performance of moving a plurality of ally character images MCG, MCG1 in the directions indicated by arrows MD, MD1 is intermittently executed (FIGS. 90(B)(D)(H)(J), 91(B)(D)(H)(J), 92(B)(D)(H)(J)). According to this configuration, the performance of moving the ally character images MCG, MCG1 is executed intermittently, so that the variation performance becomes even more innovative and the interest of the game can be increased.

[Effect 4]
In the gaming machine 1 of the above embodiment, a performance of moving a plurality of enemy character images TCG, TCG1, TCG2 in the direction indicated by the arrow TD is continuously executed (FIGS. 90(B)-(E)(H)-(K), 91(B)-(E)(H)-(K), 92(B)-(E)(H)-(K)). According to this configuration, the performance of moving the enemy character images TCG, TCG1, TCG2 is continuously executed, so that the variation performance becomes more innovative and the interest of the game can be increased.

[Effect 5]
In the gaming machine 1 of the above embodiment, when all of the effect symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R are stopped, the execution of the effect of moving the ally character images MCG, MCG1, and MCG2 and the enemy character images TCG, TCG1, and TCG2 is stopped (FIG. 90(F)(L), FIG. 91(F)(L), FIG. 92(F)(L)). With this configuration, the end of the variable display of the effect symbols 8L, 8C, and 8R becomes easy to understand, and the interest of the game can be improved.

[Effect 6]
In the gaming machine 1 of the above embodiment, before the multiple friendly character images MCG, MCG1, MCG2 and the multiple enemy character images TCG, TCG1, TCG2 are displayed moving, the enemy character image TCG is displayed moving in the direction indicated by the arrow TDB (FIGS. 92(A)(G)). This configuration can give the player an expectation that something will happen, and can increase the interest of the game.

[Modification]
Below, modified examples of multiple image movement presentations are shown.
[Modification 1]
In the above embodiment, the ally character image MCG2 and the enemy character image TCG2 as the "third image" are moved in the direction indicated by the arrow MD2 and the direction indicated by the arrow TD, respectively. In contrast, the moving direction of the "third image" is not particularly limited. For example, the ally character image MCG2 may be moved in a direction different from that of the ally character image MCG1. Also, for example, the enemy character image TCG2 may be moved in a direction different from that of the enemy character image TCG1. Also, the moving speed of the "third image" is not particularly limited. For example, the ally character image MCG2 may be moved at a speed different from that of the ally character image MCG1. Also, for example, the enemy character image TCG2 may be moved at a speed different from that of the enemy character image TCG1. According to these configurations, the chaos in the image moving presentation is increased, and the interest in the game can be improved.

[Modification 2]
In the above embodiment, the ally character images MCG, MCG1, MCG2 and the enemy character images TCG, TCG1, TCG2 are moved so as to trace a straight line. However, at least one of the ally character images MCG, MCG1, MCG2 and the enemy character images TCG, TCG1, TCG2 may be configured to move so as to trace a curved line. In this case, at least a part of the curved line traced by the image may be displayed together with the image.

[Modification 3]
In the above embodiment, the effect of moving the ally character images MCG, MCG1, and MCG2 is executed intermittently. In contrast, the effect of moving the ally character images MCG, MCG1, and MCG2 may be configured to be executed continuously. Also, the effect of moving the ally character images MCG, MCG1, and MCG2 may be configured to be executed only once without repeating it.

[Modification 3]
In the above embodiment, the enemy character images TCG, TCG1, and TCG2 are moved continuously. However, the enemy character images TCG, TCG1, and TCG2 may be moved intermittently. Also, the enemy character images TCG, TCG1, and TCG2 may be moved only once without being repeated.

[Modification 4]
In the above embodiment, the ally character images MCG, MCG1, MCG2 and the enemy character images TCG, TCG1, TCG2 are opaque images. In contrast, at least one of the ally character images MCG, MCG1, MCG2 and the enemy character images TCG, TCG1, TCG2 may be an image having transparency. Alternatively, the transparency of at least one of the ally character images MCG, MCG1, MCG2 and the enemy character images TCG, TCG1, TCG2 may be changed during the movement display.

[Example of embodiment]
In the gaming machine of this embodiment, the following aspects can be realized.
[Aspect B4-1]
A gaming machine that displays a varying pattern and notifies the winner of a lottery based on the stopping state of the pattern,
The display device includes a performance execution means capable of executing, in parallel, a first performance of moving a plurality of first images in a first direction and a second performance of moving a plurality of second images in a second direction different from the first direction.
A gaming machine characterized by:

[Aspect B4-2]
The gaming machine according to aspect B4-1,
The performance execution means moves a plurality of third images in either the first performance or the second performance.
A gaming machine characterized by:

[Aspect B4-3]
The gaming machine according to aspect B4-1 or B4-2,
The performance execution means is capable of intermittently executing the first performance during the variable display of the pattern.
A gaming machine characterized by:

[Aspect B4-4]
A gaming machine according to any one of Aspects B4-1 to B4-3,
The performance execution means is capable of continuously executing the second performance during the variable display of the pattern.
A gaming machine characterized by:

[Aspect B4-5]
The gaming machine according to aspect B4-4,
When all of the symbols are stopped and displayed, the performance execution means stops the execution of the first performance and the second performance.
A gaming machine characterized by:

[Aspect B4-6]
A gaming machine according to any one of Aspects B4-1 to B4-5,
The performance execution means is capable of executing a third performance of moving the second image in a third direction before executing the first performance and the second performance.
A gaming machine characterized by:

The following describes the presentation mode selection effects A to C using Figures 93 to 95. These presentation mode selection effects are executed during the decorative pattern variation performance, etc. In other words, the image control microcomputer 101 analyzes the command received from the sub-control board 90, and if it contains an instruction to execute the presentation mode selection performance, it reads out the corresponding image data from the ROM 103 and displays the image on the display screen 7a of the image display device 7 and the sub-display screen 64 (right sub-display screen 64R, left sub-display screen 64L, and upper sub-display screen 64U).

[Presentation mode selection presentation A]
93 is a diagram for explaining the presentation mode selection presentation A. The presentation mode selection presentation is a presentation having a period during which the presentation mode can be switched by the player's operation while the decorative symbols are fluctuating, and a period during the same fluctuating period during which the presentation mode does not switch despite the player's operation.

Here, the gaming machine 1 allows selection of multiple presentation modes with different background images, music, etc. during normal state variation presentation. The player switches between presentation modes by operating the select button 68. In presentation mode selection presentation A, when all of the decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2 are displayed varying at high speed, the presentation mode can be switched by operating the select button 68 during a valid period (valid operation period), and when any of the decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2 are displayed varying at reduced speed or are stopped, the presentation mode can be switched in an invalid period (invalid operation period). In other words, when all of the decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2 are difficult to see, the presentation mode can be switched valid, and when any one of the patterns is visible, the presentation mode can be switched invalid.

The gaming machine 1 is set to a "battle presentation mode," a "dark presentation mode," and a "happy presentation mode," and one of these presentation modes is executed. In the "battle presentation mode," an image of an enemy character fighting an ally character is displayed. In the "dark presentation mode," a dark background is displayed. In the "happy presentation mode," a background image of hearts is displayed.

In the presentation mode selection presentation A, first, as shown in FIG. 93(A), decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2, a presentation mode suggestion image, background images of enemy and ally characters, a hold icon 9A, and a variable icon (the hold icon in question) 9C are displayed on the display screen 7a.

The decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2 are a set of patterns including a left decorative pattern 8L2, a middle decorative pattern 8C2, and a right decorative pattern 8R2 displayed in the center of the display screen 7a, and the variable display of the set of patterns represents the variable display of the special pattern (special pattern change), and the stationary display of the set of patterns notifies the result of the special pattern selection. The special pattern here may be either the first special pattern or the second special pattern. In FIG. 93(A), the decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2 are each displayed changing at high speed in response to the current special pattern change (the change in question).

The presentation mode suggestion image is displayed in the upper left corner of the display screen 7a, and indicates the currently selected presentation mode. In this case, since "battle presentation mode" is selected, a text image of "battle presentation mode" is displayed inside the rectangular image. Here, the presentation mode suggestion image does not move from its position in the upper left corner of the display screen 7a. It is also displayed continuously for multiple changes. Since the decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2 are displayed in a rapid changing manner, a period during which switching of presentation modes is valid (operation valid period) is entered, and when the player operates the select button 68, the presentation mode switches to the "dark presentation mode" shown in FIG. 93 (B).

As shown in Figure 93 (B), when the presentation mode is switched, the presentation mode suggestion image changes its display content in the same position. Specifically, a text image of the currently selected "dark presentation mode" is displayed inside a rectangular image. The decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2 continue to be displayed with rapid fluctuations. Because the decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2 are displayed with rapid fluctuations, the period during which the presentation mode switching is valid (valid operation period) continues, and when the player operates the select button 68 in this state, the presentation mode switches to the "happy presentation mode" shown in Figure 93 (C).

As shown in FIG. 93(C), when the presentation mode is switched again, the presentation mode suggestion image changes its display content again in the same position. Specifically, the currently selected text image of "Happy presentation mode" is displayed inside the rectangular image. The decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2 continue to be displayed fluctuating at high speed. After this, as shown in FIG. 93(D), the fluctuating speed of the left decorative pattern 8L2 slows down and a decelerating fluctuating display is displayed, and the pattern of the left decorative pattern 8L2 becomes visible. As a part of the decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2 (left decorative pattern 8L2) becomes a decelerating fluctuating display and the pattern becomes visible, a period in which switching of the presentation mode is invalid (operation invalid period) begins.

After this, as shown in FIG. 93(E), the left decorative pattern 8L2 temporarily stops at "3". In addition, the speed of change of the right decorative pattern 8R2 slows down and a deceleration change display appears, and the right decorative pattern 8R2 becomes visible. Because some of the decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2 (left decorative pattern 8L2 and right decorative pattern 8R2) are visible, a period during which switching of the presentation mode is invalid (operation invalid period) continues. If the player operates the select button 68 in this state, the presentation mode will not switch, and instead an image suggesting a change of presentation mode after the change is over, consisting of a text image saying "will switch after the change is over", is displayed. The image suggesting a change of presentation mode after the change is over suggests that the presentation mode will not be switched during the current change, but will switch after the current change is over.

After this, as shown in Figure 93 (F), the right decorative pattern 8R2 temporarily stops at "5", the fluctuation speed of the middle decorative pattern 8C2 slows down and a decelerating fluctuation display appears, and then it temporarily stops at "7". As a result, the decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2 definitely stop in a losing pattern of "375". Because the decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2 are visible, this is a period during which switching of the performance mode is invalid (operation invalid period). After the fluctuation ends, the display of the performance mode change suggestion image disappears a predetermined period after it is displayed. In addition, the fluctuation icon (the reserved icon) 9C disappears as the reserved is consumed.

Figure 93 (G) shows the state where the next change has started. The next change has started, and the decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2 are displayed changing at high speed. Since the display mode change suggestion image was displayed after the previous change ended (Figure 93 (E)), the display mode will change immediately after the start of the next change, regardless of whether the player operates it or not. Specifically, the display mode suggestion image changes to the currently selected "battle display mode". The reserved icon 9A shifts to the right and becomes a changing icon (reserved icon) 9C, as shown in Figure 93 (H). Since the decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2 are displayed changing at high speed, the period during which the display mode can be changed (operation effective period) has begun, and when the player operates the select button 68, the display mode will change to the "dark display mode" shown in Figure 93 (I).

As shown in FIG. 93 (I), when the presentation mode is switched, the presentation mode suggestion image changes its display content in the same position. Specifically, a text image of the currently selected "dark presentation mode" is displayed inside a rectangular image. The decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2 continue to be displayed in a rapidly changing manner. Because the decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2 are displayed in a rapidly changing manner, the period during which the presentation mode switching is valid (valid operation period) continues.

After this, as shown in Figure 93 (J), the speed of change of the left decorative pattern 8L2 slows down and a decelerating change display is displayed, and the pattern of the left decorative pattern 8L2 becomes visible. Because a portion of the decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2 (left decorative pattern 8L2) is displayed as a decelerating change and the pattern becomes visible, a period in which switching of the presentation mode is invalid (operation invalid period) begins. If the player operates the select button 68 in this state, the presentation mode will not switch, and instead an image suggesting a change of presentation mode after the change is over, consisting of a text image of "Will be switched after the change is over", is displayed. The image suggesting a change of presentation mode after the change is over suggests that the presentation mode will not be switched during the current change, but will be switched after the current change is over.

After this, as shown in Figure 93 (K), the left decorative pattern 8L2 temporarily stops at "6". In addition, the rate of change of the right decorative pattern 8R2 slows down and a decelerating change is displayed, and the pattern of the right decorative pattern 8R2 becomes visible. Because some of the patterns of the decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2 (left decorative pattern 8L2 and right decorative pattern 8R2) are visible, this is a period during which switching of the presentation mode is invalid (invalid operation period). After the change ends, the presentation mode change suggestion image disappears a predetermined period after it is displayed.

After this, as shown in FIG. 93(L), the right decorative pattern 8R2 temporarily stops at "3", the fluctuation speed of the middle decorative pattern 8C2 slows down and a decelerating fluctuation display appears, and then it temporarily stops at "3". As a result, the decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2 definitely stop in a losing pattern of "633". The performance mode suggestion image remains displayed. Because the decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2 are visible, this is a period in which switching of the performance mode is invalid (operation invalid period). In addition, the variable icon (relevant reserved icon) 9C disappears as the reserved amount is consumed. As a result, the reserved icon 9C disappears and the screen switches to the standby screen.

Figure 93 (M) shows the state when the standby screen has been displayed. Since the image suggesting a change in the presentation mode after the change is completed is displayed during the change in Figure 93 (J), the presentation mode will change immediately after the standby screen is displayed after the change is completed, regardless of whether the player operates the display. Specifically, the presentation mode suggestion image switches to the currently selected "happy presentation mode". The presentation mode suggestion image is displayed large in the center of the display screen 7a, and suggests the currently selected presentation mode. In this case, since the "happy presentation mode" is selected, a text image of "happy presentation mode" is displayed inside the rectangular image. Since the decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2 are not displayed, the period during which the presentation mode can be changed (effective operation period) is entered, and the presentation mode will change when the player operates the select button 68.

When the standby screen in Figure 93 (M) is displayed and a ball is scored into the first starting hole 20, as shown in Figure 93 (N), a variable icon 9C is displayed and the decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2 are displayed with rapid fluctuations. The performance mode suggestion image moves to the upper left of the display screen 7a and returns to its original size. Because the decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2 are displayed with rapid fluctuations, a period in which switching of performance modes is valid (valid operation period) is entered.

[Presentation mode selection presentation B]
94 is a diagram for explaining the presentation mode selection presentation B. The presentation mode selection presentation is a presentation having a period during which the presentation mode can be switched by the player's operation while the decorative symbols are fluctuating, and a period during the same fluctuating period during which the presentation mode does not switch despite the player's operation.

Here, the gaming machine 1 allows selection of multiple presentation modes with different background images, music, etc. during normal state variation presentation. The player switches between presentation modes by operating the select button 68. In presentation mode selection presentation B, when all of the decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2 are displayed varying at high speed, the presentation mode can be switched by operating the select button 68 during a valid period (valid operation period), and when any of the decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2 are displayed varying at reduced speed or are stopped, the presentation mode can be switched in an invalid period (invalid operation period). In other words, when all of the decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2 are difficult to see, the presentation mode can be switched valid, and when any one of the patterns is visible, the presentation mode can be switched invalid.

The gaming machine 1 is set to a "battle presentation mode," a "dark presentation mode," and a "happy presentation mode," and one of these presentation modes is executed. In the "battle presentation mode," an image of an enemy character fighting an ally character is displayed. In the "dark presentation mode," a dark background is displayed. In the "happy presentation mode," a background image of hearts is displayed.

In the presentation mode selection presentation B, first, as shown in FIG. 94(A), the display screen 7a displays decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2, a presentation mode suggestion image, background images of enemy and ally characters, a hold icon 9A, and a variable icon (the hold icon in question) 9C.

The decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2 are a set of patterns including a left decorative pattern 8L2, a middle decorative pattern 8C2, and a right decorative pattern 8R2 displayed in the center of the display screen 7a, and the variable display of the set of patterns represents the variable display of the special pattern (special pattern change), and the stationary display of the set of patterns notifies the result of the special pattern selection. The special pattern here may be either the first special pattern or the second special pattern. In FIG. 94(A), the decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2 are each displayed changing at high speed in response to the current special pattern change (the change in question).

The presentation mode suggestion image is displayed in the upper left corner of the display screen 7a, and indicates the currently selected presentation mode. In this case, since "battle presentation mode" is selected, a text image of "battle presentation mode" is displayed inside the rectangular image. Here, the presentation mode suggestion image does not move from its position in the upper left corner of the display screen 7a. Meanwhile, the presentation mode suggestion image disappears after a predetermined period of time (for example, 2 seconds) has elapsed since its display. Since the decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2 are displayed in a rapidly changing manner, a period during which switching of presentation modes is valid (operation valid period) has arrived, and when the player operates the select button 68, the presentation mode switches to the "dark presentation mode" shown in FIG. 94 (B).

As shown in FIG. 94(B), when the presentation mode is switched, the presentation mode suggestion image is displayed in the same position with the display content changed. Specifically, a new presentation mode suggestion image is displayed in which the currently selected "dark presentation mode" text image is displayed inside a rectangular image. Then, as shown in FIG. 94(C), the presentation mode suggestion image disappears after a predetermined period of time (e.g., 2 seconds) has elapsed since the new presentation mode suggestion image was displayed. The decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2 continue to be displayed in a high-speed changing manner. Because the decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2 are displayed in a high-speed changing manner, the period during which the presentation mode switching is valid (operation valid period) continues, and when the player operates the select button 68 in this state, the presentation mode is switched to the "happy presentation mode" shown in FIG. 94(D).

As shown in FIG. 94(D), when the presentation mode is switched, a new presentation mode suggestion image with the changed display content is displayed. Specifically, a new presentation mode suggestion image is displayed with the currently selected text image of "Happy Presentation Mode" displayed inside a rectangular image. The decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2 continue to be displayed in a high-speed fluctuation manner. After this, as shown in FIG. 94(E), the fluctuation speed of the left decorative pattern 8L2 decreases and a deceleration fluctuation display is displayed, and the pattern of the left decorative pattern 8L2 becomes visible. Since a part of the decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2 (left decorative pattern 8L2) becomes a deceleration fluctuation display and the pattern becomes visible, a period in which switching of the presentation mode is invalid (operation invalid period) is entered. The display of the new presentation mode suggestion image disappears after a predetermined period (for example, 2 seconds) has elapsed since it was displayed.

After this, as shown in FIG. 94(F), the left decorative pattern 8L2 temporarily stops at "3". In addition, the speed of change of the right decorative pattern 8R2 slows down and a deceleration change display appears, and the right decorative pattern 8R2 becomes visible. Because some of the decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2 (left decorative pattern 8L2 and right decorative pattern 8R2) are visible, a period during which switching of the presentation mode is invalid (operation invalid period) continues. If the player operates the select button 68 in this state, the presentation mode will not switch, and instead an image suggesting a change of presentation mode after the change is over, consisting of a text image saying "will switch after the change is over", is displayed. The image suggesting a change of presentation mode after the change is over suggests that the presentation mode will not be switched during the current change, but will switch after the current change is over.

After this, as shown in FIG. 94 (G), the right decorative pattern 8R2 temporarily stops at "5", the fluctuation speed of the middle decorative pattern 8C2 slows down and a decelerating fluctuation display appears, and then it temporarily stops at "7". As a result, the decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2 definitely stop at "375", a losing pattern. Because the decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2 are visible, this is a period during which switching of the performance mode is invalid (operation invalid period). After the fluctuation ends, the display of the performance mode change suggestion image disappears a predetermined period after it is displayed. In addition, the fluctuation icon (the reserved icon) 9C disappears as the reserved amount is consumed.

Figure 94 (H) shows the state where the next change has started. The next change has started, and the decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2 are displayed changing at high speed. Since the presentation mode change suggestion image was displayed after the previous change ended (Figure 94 (F)), the presentation mode will change immediately after the start of the next change, regardless of whether the player operates it or not. Specifically, the presentation mode suggestion image changes to the currently selected "battle presentation mode". The reserved icon 9A shifts to the right and becomes the change icon (reserved icon) 9C, as shown in Figure 94 (I). Since the decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2 are displayed changing at high speed, the period in which the presentation mode can be changed (the operation valid period) has begun. The presentation mode suggestion image disappears after a predetermined period (for example, 2 seconds) has elapsed since it was newly displayed.

After this, as shown in Figure 94 (J), the rate of change of the left decorative pattern 8L2 slows down and a decelerating change display is displayed, and the pattern of the left decorative pattern 8L2 becomes visible. As a part of the decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2 (left decorative pattern 8L2) becomes a decelerating change display and the pattern becomes visible, a period in which switching of the presentation mode is invalid (operation invalid period) is entered. The presentation mode suggestion image remains disappeared.

After this, as shown in FIG. 94 (K), the left decorative pattern 8L2 temporarily stops at "6". In addition, the speed of change of the right decorative pattern 8R2 slows down and a deceleration change display appears, and the right decorative pattern 8R2 becomes visible. Since some of the decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2 (left decorative pattern 8L2 and right decorative pattern 8R2) are visible, this is a period in which switching of the presentation mode is invalid (operation invalid period). If the player operates the select button 68 in this state, the presentation mode will not be switched, and instead an image suggesting a change of presentation mode after the change is over, consisting of a text image saying "will be switched after the change is over", is displayed. The image suggesting a change of presentation mode after the change is over suggests that the presentation mode will not be switched during the current change, but will be switched after the current change is over. The image suggesting a presentation mode remains erased.

After this, as shown in FIG. 94(L), the right decorative pattern 8R2 temporarily stops at "3", the fluctuation speed of the middle decorative pattern 8C2 slows down and a decelerating fluctuation display appears, and then it temporarily stops at "3". As a result, the decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2 definitely stop in a losing pattern of "633". The performance mode suggestion image remains disappeared. After the fluctuation ends, the performance mode change suggestion image disappears a predetermined period after it is displayed. Since the decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2 are visible, this is a period during which switching of the performance mode is invalid (operation invalid period). In addition, the fluctuation icon (relevant reserved icon) 9C disappears as the reserved content is consumed. As a result, the reserved icon 9C disappears and the screen switches to the standby screen.

Figure 94 (M) shows the state when the standby screen has been displayed. Since the image suggesting a change in presentation mode after the end of the change is displayed during the change in Figure 94 (K), the presentation mode changes immediately after the standby screen is displayed after the change is completed, regardless of whether the player operates the display mode or not. Specifically, the presentation mode suggestion image switches to the currently selected "dark presentation mode". The presentation mode suggestion image is displayed large in the center of the display screen 7a, and suggests the currently selected presentation mode. In this case, since the "dark presentation mode" is selected, the text image "dark presentation mode" is displayed inside the rectangular image. Since the decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2 are not displayed, the period during which the presentation mode can be changed (effective operation period) is entered, and the presentation mode changes when the player operates the select button 68.

When the standby screen in Figure 94 (M) is displayed and a ball enters the first starting hole 20, as shown in Figure 94 (N), the variable icon 9C is displayed and the decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2 are displayed with rapid fluctuations. The performance mode suggestion image moves to the upper left of the display screen 7a and returns to its original size. Because the decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2 are displayed with rapid fluctuations, a period in which switching of the performance mode is valid (valid operation period) has begun.

[Presentation mode selection presentation C]
95 is a diagram for explaining the presentation mode selection presentation C. The presentation mode selection presentation is a presentation having a period during which the presentation mode can be switched by the player's operation while the decorative symbols are fluctuating, and a period during the same fluctuating period during which the presentation mode does not switch despite the player's operation.

Here, the gaming machine 1 allows selection of multiple presentation modes with different background images, music, etc. during normal state variation presentation. The player switches between presentation modes by operating the select button 68. In presentation mode selection presentation C, unlike presentation mode selection presentation AB, when any one of the decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, 8R2 is displayed varying at high speed, the period during which switching of presentation modes by operating the select button 68 is valid (operation valid period), and when all of the decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, 8R2 are displayed varying at reduced speed or stopped, the period during which switching of presentation modes by operating the select button 68 is invalid (operation invalid period). In other words, when any one of the decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, 8R2 is difficult to see, switching of presentation modes is valid, and when all of the patterns are visible, switching of presentation modes is invalid.

The gaming machine 1 is set to a "battle presentation mode," a "dark presentation mode," and a "happy presentation mode," and one of these presentation modes is executed. In the "battle presentation mode," an image of an enemy character fighting an ally character is displayed. In the "dark presentation mode," a dark background is displayed. In the "happy presentation mode," a background image of hearts is displayed.

In the presentation mode selection presentation C, first, as shown in FIG. 95(A), decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2, a presentation mode suggestion image, background images of enemy and ally characters, a hold icon 9A, and a variable icon (the hold icon in question) 9C are displayed on the display screen 7a.

The decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2 are a set of patterns including a left decorative pattern 8L2, a middle decorative pattern 8C2, and a right decorative pattern 8R2 displayed in the center of the display screen 7a, and the variable display of the set of patterns represents the variable display of the special pattern (special pattern change), and the stationary display of the set of patterns notifies the result of the special pattern selection. The special pattern here may be either the first special pattern or the second special pattern. In FIG. 95(A), the decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2 are each displayed changing at high speed in response to the current special pattern change (the change in question).

The performance mode suggestion image is displayed in the upper left corner of the display screen 7a, and indicates the currently selected performance mode. In this case, "Happy performance mode" has been selected, so a text image of "Happy performance mode" is displayed inside the rectangular image. Here, the performance mode suggestion image does not move from its position in the upper left corner of the display screen 7a. It is also displayed continuously for multiple changes. Because the decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2 are displayed in rapid change, it is within a period during which switching of performance modes is valid (valid operation period).

After this, as shown in Figure 95 (B), the rate of change of the left decorative pattern 8L2 slows down and a decelerating change display is displayed, and the left decorative pattern 8L2 becomes visible. A portion of the decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2 (left decorative pattern 8L2) becomes visible as a decelerating change display, but because not all of the patterns are visible, the period during which the switching of the presentation mode is valid (valid operation period) is maintained. When the player operates the select button 68 in this state, the presentation mode switches to the "battle presentation mode" shown in Figure 95 (C).

As shown in FIG. 95(C), when the presentation mode is switched, the presentation mode suggestion image changes its display content again in the same position. Specifically, the currently selected "battle presentation mode" text image is displayed inside the rectangular image. As for the decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2, the left decorative pattern 8L2 temporarily stops at "6". In addition, the right decorative pattern 8R2's fluctuation speed decreases and a deceleration fluctuation display is displayed, and the right decorative pattern 8R2's pattern becomes visible. Although some of the decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2 (left decorative pattern 8L2 and right decorative pattern 8R2) have become visible, not all of the patterns have become visible, so the period during which the switching of the presentation mode is valid (operation valid period) is maintained. When the player operates the select button 68 in this state, the presentation mode is switched to the "dark presentation mode" shown in FIG. 95(D).

As shown in FIG. 95(D), when the presentation mode is switched, the presentation mode suggestion image changes its display content again in the same position. Specifically, the currently selected "dark presentation mode" text image is displayed inside the rectangular image. The decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2 are displayed with the right decorative pattern 8R2 temporarily stopping at "3" and the middle decorative pattern 8C2's fluctuation speed decreasing to a decelerated fluctuation display. As a result, the decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2 are all visible, and the presentation mode is switched to a period in which switching is invalid (operation invalid period). In this state, if the player operates the select button 68, the presentation mode is not switched, and instead a presentation mode change suggestion image after the change is over, which is composed of a text image of "will be switched after the change is over", is displayed. The presentation mode change suggestion image after the change is over suggests that the presentation mode will not be switched during the current change, but will be switched after the current change is over.

After this, as shown in FIG. 95(E), the middle decorative pattern 8C2 temporarily stops at "5". As a result, the decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2 definitely stop at "633", which is a losing pattern. Because the decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2 are visible, this is a period in which switching of the presentation mode is invalid (invalid operation period). After the change ends, the presentation mode change suggestion image remains displayed until the change ends. In addition, the change icon (relevant pending icon) 9C disappears as the pending is consumed.

Figure 95 (F) shows the state when the next change has started. The next change has started, and the decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2 are displayed changing at high speed. Since the image suggesting a change in presentation mode was displayed after the previous change ended (Figure 95 (D)), the presentation mode will change immediately after the start of the next change, regardless of whether the player operates it or not. Specifically, the presentation mode suggestion image changes to the currently selected "happy presentation mode". The reserved icon 9A shifts to the right and becomes the changing icon (reserved icon) 9C. Since the decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2 are displayed changing at high speed, a period in which the presentation mode can be changed (effective operation period) has begun.

As shown in FIG. 95(G), the decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2 are displayed fluctuating at high speed, and then all decelerate at once to be displayed as decelerating fluctuations. Because the decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2 are all displayed as decelerating fluctuations and are visible, they switch to a period in which switching of the presentation mode is invalid (operation invalid period). As shown in FIG. 95(H), if the player operates the select button 68 in this state, the presentation mode does not switch, and instead an image suggesting a change of presentation mode after the end of the fluctuation, consisting of a text image saying "Will switch after the end", is displayed. As described above, the image suggesting a change of presentation mode after the end of the fluctuation suggests that the presentation mode will not switch during the current fluctuation, but will switch after the current fluctuation ends.

After that, as shown in Figure 95 (I), the decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2 are again displayed fluctuating at high speed. This means that during the same fluctuation, the period during which switching of the presentation mode is valid (valid operation period) is again entered. At the same time, an image suggesting that the mode can be re-switched, consisting of a text image of "Mode re-switching possible!", is displayed. When the player operates the select button 68 in this state, the presentation mode switches to the "battle presentation mode" shown in Figure 95 (J).

As shown in Figure 95 (J), when the presentation mode is switched, the presentation mode suggestion image changes its display content again in the same position. Specifically, the currently selected text image of "battle presentation mode" is displayed inside a rectangular image. Since the decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2 maintain their high-speed changing display, this is the period during which the presentation mode switching is valid (valid operation period).

As shown in FIG. 95(K), decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2 are displayed fluctuating at high speed, and then all decelerate at once to be displayed as decelerating fluctuations. Because decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2 are all displayed as decelerating fluctuations and are visible, they switch to a period in which switching of presentation modes is invalid (operation invalid period). As shown in FIG. 95(L), if the player operates select button 68 in this state, the presentation mode does not switch, and instead an image suggesting a change of presentation mode after the end of the fluctuation, consisting of a text image saying "Will switch after the end", is displayed. As described above, the image suggesting a change of presentation mode after the end of the fluctuation suggests that the presentation mode will not switch during the current fluctuation, but will switch after the current fluctuation ends.

After this, as shown in FIG. 95 (M), the left decorative pattern 8L2 temporarily stops at "3". Next, the right decorative pattern 8R2 temporarily stops at "3". After that, the middle decorative pattern 8C2 temporarily stops at "3". As a result, the decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2 definitely stop in a missing pattern of "633". Because the decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2 are visible, this is a period during which switching of the presentation mode is invalid (operation invalid period). After the change has ended, the presentation mode change suggestion image and the presentation mode suggestion image disappear. The change icon (the reserved icon) 9C disappears as the reserved is consumed.

Figure 95 (N) shows the state when the next change has started. The next change has started, and the decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2 are displayed changing at high speed. Since the image suggesting a change in presentation mode was displayed after the previous change ended (Figure 95 (L)), the presentation mode will change immediately after the start of the next change, regardless of whether the player operates it or not. Specifically, the presentation mode suggestion image changes to the currently selected "dark presentation mode". The reserved icon 9A shifts to the right and becomes the changing icon (reserved icon) 9C. Since the decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2 are displayed changing at high speed, a period in which the presentation mode can be changed (effective operation period) has begun.

[Example of effect]
Below are examples of the effects of the presentation mode selection presentation.
[Effect 1]
In the gaming machine 1 of the above embodiment, as shown in Fig. 93, a presentation can be executed having a first period (Fig. 93 (A) to (C)) during which the player can switch the presentation mode by operating the select button 68 while the decorative symbols 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2 are changing, and a second period (Fig. 93 (D) to (F)) after the first period during the same change as the first period during which the presentation mode does not switch despite the player operating the select button 68. With this configuration, a novel presentation that has never been seen before can be visually entertaining to the player, and interest can be increased. The same is true for Figs. 94 and 95.
[Effect 2]
In the gaming machine 1 of the above embodiment, as shown in Figures 93(E)-(G) and (J)-(M), when the player operates the select button 68 during the second period, the presentation mode does not change during the second period, and after the fluctuation during the second period ends, the presentation mode changes. With this configuration, a novel presentation that has never been seen before can be visually entertaining to the player, and can increase the player's interest. The same is true for Figures 94 and 95.
[Effect 3]
In the gaming machine 1 of the above embodiment, as shown in Figures 93(E) and (J), when the player operates the select button 68 during the second period, a suggestion image is displayed suggesting that the presentation mode will be switched after the fluctuation during the second period ends. With this configuration, the player can be visually entertained by a novel presentation that has never been seen before, and the interest can be increased. The same is true for Figures 94 and 95.
[Effect 4]
In the gaming machine 1 of the above embodiment, as shown in Figures 93(E) to (G), when the player operates the select button 68 during the second period, the presentation mode is switched at the time of the next change during the second period, and a presentation mode suggestion image suggesting the presentation mode after the change is displayed. With this configuration, the player can be visually entertained by a novel presentation that has never been seen before, and the interest can be increased. The same is true for Figures 94 and 95.
[Effect 5]
In the gaming machine 1 of the above embodiment, as shown in Figures 93(J) to (M), when the player operates the select button 68 during the second period, the presentation mode is switched on the standby screen after the change during the second period ends, and a presentation mode suggestion image suggesting the presentation mode after the switch is displayed. With this configuration, the player can be visually entertained by a novel presentation that has never been seen before, and the interest can be increased. The same is true for Figures 94 and 95.
[Effect 6]
In the gaming machine 1 of the above embodiment, the second period starts when the moving speed of the decorative symbols 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2 changes after the first period, as shown in Figures 93 to 95. This configuration allows the player to be visually entertained by a novel presentation that has never been seen before, and can increase the player's interest.

[Modification]
Below, modified examples of the presentation mode selection presentation are shown.
[Modification 1]
The contents of the presentation mode selection presentations A to C may be combined as appropriate.

[Example of embodiment]
In the gaming machine of this embodiment, the following aspects can be realized.
◇[Aspect B5-1]
A gaming machine including a display means capable of displaying a plurality of types of images and an operation means operable by a player,
One of the plurality of types of images is a decorative pattern;
a first period during which the presentation mode can be switched by the player operating the operation means while the decorative symbols are varying;
a second period in which the presentation mode is not switched despite the operation of the operation means by a player during the same fluctuation as the first period after the first period;
A gaming machine characterized by:
◇[Aspect B5-2]
The gaming machine according to aspect B5-1,
When the player operates the operation means during the second period, the presentation mode is not switched during the second period, and after the change during the second period ends, a presentation in which the presentation mode is switched can be executed.
A gaming machine characterized by:
◇[Aspect B5-3]
The gaming machine according to aspect B5-2,
When the player operates the operation means during the second period, a suggestion image is displayed, which suggests that the presentation mode will be switched after the variation during the second period ends.
A gaming machine characterized by:
◇[Aspect B5-4]
The gaming machine according to aspect B5-3,
When the player operates the operation means during the second period, the presentation mode is switched at the time of the next change following the change during the second period, and a presentation mode suggestion image suggesting the presentation mode after the change is displayed.
A gaming machine characterized by:
◇[Aspect B5-5]
A gaming machine according to any one of aspects B5-3 to B5-3,
When the player operates the operating means during the second period, the presentation mode is switched on the standby screen after the change during the second period ends, and a presentation mode suggestion image suggesting the presentation mode after the switch is displayed.
A gaming machine characterized by:
◇[Aspect B5-6]
A gaming machine according to any one of Aspects B5-1 to B5-5,
After the first period, when the moving speed of the decorative pattern changes, the second period starts.
A gaming machine characterized by:

Below, separation and combination performances A to C of the performance patterns are explained using Figures 96 to 98. In Figures 96 to 98, the various movable props, various decorative members, and various background images arranged around the front (forward) of the display screen 7a of the image display device 7 have been omitted for ease of viewing. Figure 96 is a diagram for explaining separation and combination performance A of the performance patterns, Figure 97 is a diagram for explaining separation and combination performance B of the performance patterns, and Figure 98 is a diagram for explaining separation and combination performance C of the performance patterns.

This separation and combination of performance symbols is a performance in which a performance symbol consisting of a number symbol and a character symbol separates from the number symbol and the character symbol, and then the number symbol and the character symbol combine again. That is, the image control microcomputer 101 analyzes various commands received from the sub-control board 90, and if an instruction to execute a separation and combination of performance symbols is included, it reads the corresponding image data from the ROM 103 and displays the image on the display screen 7a of the image display device 7.

Here, we will first explain the performance patterns, then explain the separation and combination performance A of the performance patterns, the separation and combination performance B of the performance patterns, and the separation and combination performance C of the performance patterns.

[Performance design]
The left performance pattern 8L, the center performance pattern 8C, and the right performance pattern 8R are composed of numbers and characters as three-dimensional images of a coin shape. The character patterns are three-dimensional images, and the images are arranged so as to fit within the outline of the coin shape. The number patterns are three-dimensional images, and a part of the number patterns protrudes downward from the lower center of the character patterns constituting the performance pattern, which is a three-dimensional image of a coin shape (i.e., the lower center of the outline of the coin shape), and is arranged in front of the character patterns and combined, so that the number patterns cover at least a part of the character patterns. The performance patterns are composed of the numbers and the character patterns corresponding to the numbers.

Specifically, the number "7" has a bright red color, and the odd numbers "1", "3", "5" and "9" except for the number "7" all have the same bright green color. The even numbers "2", "4", "6" and "8" all have the same bright blue color. The number designs (odd number designs and even number designs) are each composed of different character designs with multiple colors (full color), and the character designs are displayed large as the main design elements. For this reason, the size of the number designs is smaller than the size of the character designs attached to the number designs. In this way, since the number symbols (odd and even) each have a color, for example, when the left effect symbol 8L and the right effect symbol 8R align with the same number symbol to form a provisional stop display, and the effect is then developed, the more times the player experiences effects that develop via a reach, the more opportunities the player has to discover for himself or herself the relationship (pattern) between the colors of the provisionally displayed number symbols and the developed effect. In this way, the fact that the number symbols (odd and even) each have a color can contribute to increasing interest.

Specifically, the performance pattern is configured such that the character A is attached to the number "1", the character B is attached to the number "2", the character C is attached to the number "3", the character D is attached to the number "4", the character E is attached to the number "5", the character F is attached to the number "6", the character G is attached to the number "7", the character H is attached to the number "8", and the character I is attached to the number "9", and the number patterns are each attached to different character patterns having multiple colors (full color). For example, character A may be attached to the numbers "1" and "7" and overlap, and character C may be attached to the numbers "3" and "8" and overlap. In this case, character A, which has a different display mode from character A attached to number "1", is assigned to number "7", and character C, which has a different display mode from character C attached to number "3", is assigned to number "8".

When the left performance pattern 8L, the middle performance pattern 8C, and the right performance pattern 8R are stopped and displayed, the center of the number pattern in the performance pattern is arranged on a horizontal line passing through the center of the left side and the center of the right side of the display screen 7a. The display screen 7a has a vertical strip area having a distance length obtained by dividing the horizontal distance dimension of the display screen 7a into three equal parts, with the left vertical strip area as the variable area of the left performance pattern 8L, the middle vertical strip area as the variable area of the middle performance pattern 8C, and the right vertical strip area as the variable area of the right performance pattern 8R. In this way, the position where the left performance pattern 8L, the middle performance pattern 8C, and the right performance pattern 8R are stopped and displayed will be referred to as the "stop position" below. Note that the variable performance (variable display) of the left performance pattern 8L, the middle performance pattern 8C, and the right performance pattern 8R differs between the separation and combination performance A of the performance pattern and the separation and combination performance B and C of the performance pattern, so a detailed explanation will be given later.

To briefly explain the variable icons and reserved icons, the variable icons 9C corresponding to the left performance pattern 8L, middle performance pattern 8C, and right performance pattern 8R that are currently changing as the first special chart reserved is consumed are displayed (placed) in the variable display position 9Cd (above a rectangular image (pedestal image)) displayed in the lower center of the display screen 7a of the image display device 7. In the area of the display screen 7a to the left of the variable display position 9Cd, a first reserved display area is provided for the first special chart reserved. In this first reserved display area, reserved icons 9A can be displayed (placed) in each of the four reserved display positions 9Ad (above a rectangular image (pedestal image)), and a maximum of four reserved icons 9A can be stored. The four hold display positions 9Ad are aligned and displayed in a straight line along the bottom edge of the display screen 7a in the following order, starting from the position closest to the variable display position 9Cd toward the left edge of the display screen 7a: first hold display position 9Ad, second hold display position 9Ad, third hold display position 9Ad, and so on.

Note that both the variable display position 9Cd and the hold display position 9Ad have a rectangular shape, but they may be the same size or different sizes. In this embodiment, both the variable display position 9Cd and the hold display position 9Ad have a rectangular shape, and the size (horizontal distance dimension) of the variable display position 9Cd is larger than the size (horizontal distance dimension) of the hold display position 9Ad (the vertical distance dimensions are both the same). This is to make it possible to distinguish between the variable icon 9C displayed in the variable display position 9Cd and the hold icon 9A displayed in the hold display position 9Ad.

[Separation and combination of performance patterns A]
Next, the separation and combination performance A of the performance symbols will be described with reference to Fig. 96. As shown in Fig. 96(A), on the display screen 7a of the image display device 7, at the stop position, the left performance symbol 8L is displayed as a stop display with the character B's symbol 8Lb attached to the number "2" symbol 8La having a bright blue color, the center performance symbol 8C is displayed as a stop display with the character C's symbol 8Cb attached to the number "3" symbol 8Ca having a bright green color, and the right performance symbol 8R is displayed as a stop display with the character F's symbol 8Rb attached to the number "6" symbol 8Ra having a bright blue color, and the variable icon 9C has disappeared from the display screen 7a because the miss has been confirmed.

Here, the reserve icon 9A is displayed at the first reserve display position 9Ad to the third reserve display position 9Ad, and no reserve icon is displayed at the fourth reserve display position 9Ad. In other words, there are only three reserve icons 9A that have not been consumed and are stocked. For ease of explanation, the following explanation assumes that no game balls enter the first start hole 20 or the second start hole 21.

Next, when the reserved icon 9A displayed at the first reserved display position 9Ad moves to the variable display position 9Cd and becomes the variable icon 9C, the variable performance (variable display) of the performance pattern begins, as shown in FIG. 96 (B). When the reserved icon 9A displayed at the first reserved display position 9Ad moves to the variable display position 9Cd, the reserved icon 9A displayed at the third reserved display position 9Ad moves to the second reserved display position 9Ad, and the reserved icon 9A displayed at the second reserved display position 9Ad moves to the first reserved display position 9Ad, resulting in a state in which only two reserved icons 9A are stocked without being consumed.

When the changing performance (changing display) of the performance pattern begins, the performance pattern first moves slowly (at a low speed) in a slowly floating display mode from the stopped position upward to the separation and combination position, which is a predetermined distance (for example, about 5 millimeters).

When the left performance pattern 8L has completed moving to the separation and combination position, the left performance pattern 8L starts to move in a display manner in which the number "2" pattern 8La pops out toward the bottom of the left side of the display screen 7a in a clockwise direction, while the character B's pattern 8Lb starts to move vertically from the top to the bottom of the left vertical strip area, while the rightmost point of the elliptical arc curve passes through the separation and combination position and along the left side variable curve 8LaK, which is a flat curve with an open left side. In this way, when the left performance pattern 8L moves to the separation and combination position and rises up, the left performance pattern 8L starts to separate into the number "2" pattern 8La and the character B's pattern 8Lb. The left side variable curve 8LaK is located within the left vertical strip area.

When the character B's pattern 8Lb starts to move to the bottom side, the character C's pattern 8Lb following the character B's pattern 8Lb (i.e., the character C's pattern 8Lb corresponding to the number "3" pattern 8La following the number "2" pattern 8La) is displayed in a manner in which it invades from the outside of the top side of the left vertical strip area to the inside, and moves downward. When the number "2" pattern 8La starts to move clockwise toward the front along the left side fluctuation curve 8LaK, the number "4" pattern 8La following the number "3" pattern 8La is displayed in a manner in which it invades from the top of the left side of the display screen 7a to the inside, and moves clockwise along the left side fluctuation curve 8LaK toward the separation/combination position.

When the right performance pattern 8R has completed moving to the separation and combination position, the right performance pattern 8R starts to move in a display manner in which the number "6" pattern 8Ra pops out toward the bottom of the right side of the display screen 7a, counterclockwise, while the character F's pattern 8Rb starts to move vertically from the top to the bottom of the right vertical strip area, while the leftmost point of the elliptical arc curve passes through the separation and combination position and the right side is open along the right side variable curve 8RaK, which is a flat curve, and moves in a counterclockwise direction. In this way, when the right performance pattern 8R moves to the separation and combination position and rises up, the right performance pattern 8R starts to separate into the number "6" pattern 8Ra and the character F's pattern 8Rb. The right side variable curve 8RaK is located within the right vertical strip area.

When the character F's pattern 8Rb starts to move to the bottom side, the character G's pattern 8Rb following the character F's pattern 8Rb (i.e., the character G's pattern 8Rb corresponding to the number "7" pattern 8Ra following the number "6" pattern 8Ra) is displayed in a manner in which it invades from the outside of the upper side of the right vertical strip area to the inside, and moves downward. When the number "6" pattern 8Ra starts to move counterclockwise toward the front along the right-side fluctuation curve 8RaK, the number "7" pattern 8Ra following the number "6" pattern 8Ra is displayed in a manner in which it invades from the upper side of the right side of the display screen 7a to the inside, and moves counterclockwise along the right-side fluctuation curve 8RaK toward the separation/combination position.

When the middle performance pattern 8C has completed moving to the separation and combination position, the middle performance pattern 8C starts to move vertically from the top to the bottom of the middle vertical strip area, while the number "3" pattern 8Ca starts to move clockwise toward the left along the horizontal middle variable curve 8CaK, which is a closed planar curve with the lowest point of the elliptical curve passing through the separation and combination position. In this way, when the middle performance pattern 8C moves to the separation and combination position and rises, the middle performance pattern 8C starts to separate into the number "3" pattern 8Ca and the character C pattern 8Cb. The upper and lower curved portions of the middle fluctuation curve 8CaK are located within the middle vertical band region, while the right curved portion of the middle fluctuation curve 8CaK jumps out from the middle vertical band region into the right vertical band region and is positioned so as to straddle the boundary between the middle vertical band region and the right vertical band region, and the left curved portion of the middle fluctuation curve 8CaK jumps out from the middle vertical band region into the left vertical band region and is positioned so as to straddle the boundary between the middle vertical band region and the left vertical band region.

When the pattern 8Cb of character C starts to move to the bottom side, the pattern 8Cb of character D following the pattern 8Cb of character C (i.e., the pattern 8Cb of character D corresponding to the pattern 8Ca of the number "4" following the pattern 8Ca of the number "3") is displayed in a manner in which it invades from the outside of the upper side of the center vertical strip area to the inside, and moves downward. When the pattern 8Ca of the number "3" starts to move leftward along the center fluctuation curve 8CaK, the pattern 8Ca of the number "4" following the pattern 8Ca of the number "3" is displayed in a manner in which it invades to the right from the vertical line passing through the uppermost point of the center fluctuation curve 8CaK, and moves toward the separation and combination position along the center fluctuation curve 8CaK, whereas when the pattern 8Ca of the number "3" reaches the vertical line passing through the uppermost point of the center fluctuation curve 8CaK, it is displayed in a manner in which it is sucked in from the left side of the vertical line and disappears from the display screen 7a.

When the effect patterns start to change, as shown in Figures 96 (C) and (D), the character patterns change from an opaque state to a semi-transparent state as they move downwards, slowly increasing in speed, and the number patterns change from an opaque state to a semi-transparent state as they move downwards, slowly increasing in speed (accelerating), and the number patterns change at high speed along each change curve. This allows the background image located behind the effect patterns to be viewed through the semi-transparent effect patterns as they change rapidly.

Then, the performance pattern decelerates just before the temporary stop, changes from a semi-transparent state to an opaque state again, and moves to the separation and combination position. Specifically, first, as shown in FIG. 96(E), the left performance pattern 8L is a character pattern 8Lb that invades from the outside of the upper side of the left vertical strip area to the inside and moves downward, gradually slowing down (decelerating) from a semi-transparent state to an opaque state, and the character A pattern 8Lb moves toward the separation and combination position, while the number pattern 8La invades from the upper side of the left side of the display screen 7a to the inside and moves along the left fluctuation curve 8LaK, gradually slowing down (decelerating) from a semi-transparent state to an opaque state, and the bright green number "1" pattern 8La moves toward the separation and combination position. At this time, the character designs other than the character A design 8Lb gradually change from a semi-transparent state to a transparent state, and become hidden (disappear from the display screen 7a) when the character A design 8Lb arrives at the separation and combination position. At this time, the number designs other than the number "1" design 8La gradually change from a semi-transparent state to a transparent state, and become hidden (disappear from the display screen 7a) when the number "1" design 8La arrives at the separation and combination position. Note that when the number design 8La moving along the left side fluctuation curve 8LaK invades from the upper side of the left side of the display screen 7a to the inside, it moves only within the left vertical strip area, and does not invade the center vertical strip area adjacent to the right side of the left vertical strip area.

At the same time that the character A's pattern 8Lb reaches the separation/combination position, the bright green number "1" pattern 8La also reaches the separation/combination position, and the number "1" pattern 8La is positioned in front of the character A's pattern 8Lb, resulting in a combined state. When the number "1" pattern 8La and the character A's pattern 8Lb combine at the separation/combination position, a display mode in which part of the character's pattern 8Lb moves (here, the display mode in which the two horns on the head of character A in the character A's pattern 8Lb close and open is repeated). In addition, when the number "1" pattern 8La and character A pattern 8Lb are combined at the separation/combination position, the left performance pattern 8L may be in a first temporary stop display state, moving in small increments (for example, 2.5 mm upward and 2.5 mm downward from the separation/combination position (i.e., a swing width of 5 mm)) in the vertical direction in this combined state (i.e., without changing the relative positions of the number "1" pattern 8La and character A pattern 8Lb) based on the separation/combination position. In this case, the display mode may be such that part of character A's pattern 8Lb moves, or the display mode may be such that part of character A's pattern 8Lb does not move and is stationary.

When the number "1" pattern 8La and character A pattern 8Lb are combined (or when the left performance pattern 8L reaches the first temporary stop display state), the right performance pattern 8R then, as shown in Figure 96 (F), the character pattern 8Rb, which invades from the outside of the upper edge of the right vertical band area to the inside and moves downward, gradually slows down (decelerates) from a high speed and gradually changes from a semi-transparent state to an opaque state, and the character G pattern 8Rb moves toward the separation and combination position, while the number pattern 8La, which invades from the upper right edge of the display screen 7a to the inside and moves along the right-side fluctuation curve 8RaK, gradually slows down (decelerates) from a high speed and gradually changes from a semi-transparent state to an opaque state, and the number "7" pattern 8Ra, which has a bright red color, moves toward the separation and combination position. At this time, the character designs other than the character G design 8Rb gradually change from a semi-transparent state to a transparent state, and become hidden (disappear from the display screen 7a) when the character G design 8Rb arrives at the separation and combination position. At this time, the number designs other than the number "7" design 8Ra gradually change from a semi-transparent state to a transparent state, and become hidden (disappear from the display screen 7a) when the number "7" design 8Ra arrives at the separation and combination position. In addition, when the number design 8Ra moving along the right-side fluctuation curve 8RaK enters the inside from the upper side of the right side of the display screen 7a, it moves only within the right-side vertical strip area, and does not enter the center vertical strip area adjacent to the left side of the right-side vertical strip area.

At the same time that the symbol 8Rb of character G reaches the separation/combination position, the bright red symbol 8Ra of the number "7" also reaches the separation/combination position, and the symbol 8Ra of the number "7" is positioned in front of the symbol 8Rb of character G, resulting in a combined state. When the symbol 8Ra of the number "7" and the symbol 8Rb of character G combine at the separation/combination position, a display mode in which part of the symbol 8Rb of the character moves (here, the display mode in which the sword held in the right hand of character G in the symbol 8Rb of character G moves up and down is repeated). In addition, when the number "7" pattern 8Ra and the character G pattern 8Rb are combined at the separation/combination position, the right performance pattern 8R may be in a first temporary stop display state, moving in small increments (for example, 2.5 mm upward and 2.5 mm downward from the separation/combination position (i.e., a swing width of 5 mm)) in the vertical direction in this combined state (i.e., without changing the relative positions of the number "7" pattern 8Ra and the character G pattern 8Rb) based on the separation/combination position. In this case, the display mode may be such that part of the character G's pattern 8Rb moves, or the display mode may be such that part of the character G's pattern 8Rb does not move and is stationary.

When the number "7" pattern 8Ra and character G pattern 8Rb are combined (or when the right performance pattern 8R reaches the first temporary stop display state), the middle performance pattern 8C, as shown in FIG. 96 (G), moves downward as the character pattern 8Cb invades from the outside of the upper edge of the middle vertical band area to the inside, gradually slowing down (decelerating) from a high speed and gradually changing from a semi-transparent state to an opaque state, and the character pattern 8Cb moves toward the separation and combination position, while the number pattern 8Ca invades to the right from the vertical line passing through the uppermost point of the middle fluctuation curve 8CaK and moves along the middle fluctuation curve 8CaK, gradually slowing down (decelerating) from a high speed and gradually changing from a semi-transparent state to an opaque state, and the number "6" pattern 8Ca, which has a bright blue color, moves toward the separation and combination position. At this time, the character designs other than the character F design 8Cb gradually change from a semi-transparent state to a transparent state, and become hidden (disappeared from the display screen 7a) when the character F design 8Cb arrives at the separation/combination position. At this time, the number designs other than the number "6" design 8Ca gradually change from a semi-transparent state to a transparent state, and become hidden (disappeared from the display screen 7a) when the number "6" design 8Ca arrives at the separation/combination position. Note that when the number design 8Ca moving along the middle fluctuation curve 8CaK invades to the right of the vertical line passing through the uppermost point of the middle fluctuation curve 8CaK, it may invade and move into the right vertical strip adjacent to the right side of the middle vertical strip, in addition to the middle vertical strip, and may invade and move into the left vertical strip adjacent to the left side of the middle vertical strip. In this respect, the number pattern 8Ca moving along the middle fluctuation curve 8CaK differs from the number pattern 8La moving along the left fluctuation curve 8LaK and the number pattern 8Ra moving along the right fluctuation curve 8RaK.

At the same time that the symbol 8Cb of character F reaches the separation/combination position, the symbol 8Ca of the bright blue number "6" also reaches the separation/combination position, and the symbol 8Ca of the number "6" is positioned in front of the symbol 8Cb of character F, resulting in a combined state. When the symbol 8Ca of the number "6" and the symbol 8Cb of character F combine at the separation/combination position, a display mode in which part of the symbol 8Cb of the character moves (here, the display mode in which the sword held in the right hand of character F moves up and down in the symbol 8Cb of character F is repeated). In addition, when the number "6" pattern 8Ca and the character F pattern 8Cb are combined at the separation/combination position, the left performance pattern 8L may be displayed in a first temporary stop state, moving in small increments (for example, 2.5 mm upward and 2.5 mm downward from the separation/combination position (i.e., a swing width of 5 mm)) in the vertical direction while remaining in this combined state (i.e., without changing the relative positions of the number "6" pattern 8Ca and the character F pattern 8Cb) based on the separation/combination position. In this case, the display mode may be such that part of the character F's pattern 8Cb moves, or the display mode may be such that part of the character F's pattern 8Cb does not move and is stationary.

In this way, first, when the left performance pattern 8L is a combination of the number "1" pattern 8La and character A's pattern 8Lb (or when the left performance pattern 8L is in the first temporary stop display state), the display mode in which the two horns on character A's head in character A's pattern 8Lb close and open is repeated, and then, when the right performance pattern 8R is a combination of the number "7" pattern 8Ra and character G's pattern 8Rb (or when the right performance pattern 8R is in the first temporary stop display state), the sword held in character G's right hand in character G's pattern 8Rb moves up and down. The moving display mode is repeated, and then when the middle performance pattern 8C becomes a state in which the number "6" pattern 8Ca and character F pattern 8Cb are combined (or when the middle performance pattern 8C becomes the first temporary stop display state), the display mode in which the sword held in character F's right hand in character F's pattern 8Cb moves up and down is repeated, resulting in a state in which the number patterns and character patterns in the left performance pattern 8L, middle performance pattern 8C, and right performance pattern 8R are combined at the separated/combined position, as shown in Figure 96 (H), and further a display mode in which part of the character pattern moves.

After that, as shown in Figure 96 (I), the left performance pattern 8L, the middle performance pattern 8C, and the right performance pattern 8R move slowly (slowly) from the separated/combined position toward the stop position in a display mode in which the number pattern and the character pattern are combined and slowly sink downward, and when they reach the stop position, they enter a temporary stop display state in which they move in small increments up and down based on the stop position (for example, only 2.5 mm up and 2.5 mm down based on the stop position (i.e., a swing width of only 5 mm)). As the left performance pattern 8L, the center performance pattern 8C, and the right performance pattern 8R start to move from the separation and combination position toward the stop position with the number pattern and the character pattern combined, the number "1" pattern 8La in the left performance pattern 8L derails from the trajectory of the left side fluctuation curve 8LaK, the number "6" pattern 8Ca in the center performance pattern 8C derails from the trajectory of the center fluctuation curve 8CaK, and the number "7" pattern 8Ra in the right performance pattern 8R derails from the trajectory of the right side fluctuation curve 8RaK. If the left performance pattern 8L, the center performance pattern 8C, and the right performance pattern 8R are in the first temporary stop display state at the separation and combination position, the temporary stop display here becomes the second temporary stop display, and the left performance pattern 8L, the center performance pattern 8C, and the right performance pattern 8R become in the second temporary stop display state.

Then, the left performance pattern 8L, the middle performance pattern 8C, and the right performance pattern 8R are displayed stopped at the stopping position as shown in Figure 96 (J), and as they do not line up with the same number patterns, a miss is confirmed. When they are displayed stopped, the display mode in which part of the character patterns in the left performance pattern 8L, the middle performance pattern 8C, and the right performance pattern 8R move ends, and the character patterns become stationary. In addition, when a miss is confirmed, the variable icon 9C disappears from the display screen 7a.

Next, when the reserved icon 9A displayed at the first reserved display position 9Ad moves to the variable display position 9Cd and becomes the variable icon 9C, the variable display (variable display) of the above-mentioned performance symbols starts again, and if the left performance symbol 8L, the middle performance symbol 8C, and the right performance symbol 8R do not all have the same number pattern and are stopped and displayed, a miss is confirmed, whereas if the left performance symbol 8L, the middle performance symbol 8C, and the right performance symbol 8R all have the same number pattern and are stopped and displayed, a win is confirmed, and then a winning game begins in which the player is awarded a profit.

In the separation and combination performance A of the performance patterns, the number pattern 8La in the left performance pattern 8L moves clockwise along the left side fluctuation curve 8LaK, invading from the upper left side of the display screen 7a to the inside, passing through the separation and combination position which is the rightmost point of the left side fluctuation curve 8LaK, and popping out toward the lower left side of the display screen 7a. At this time, the number pattern 8La in the left performance pattern 8L moves clockwise along the planar left side fluctuation curve 8LaK. However, the left side variation curve 8LaK may be arranged three-dimensionally by arranging the upper end of the left side variation curve 8LaK where the number pattern 8La in the left performance pattern 8L invades from the upper side of the left side of the display screen 7a in the depth direction, and arranging the lower end of the left side variation curve 8LaK where the number pattern 8La in the left performance pattern 8L pops out toward the lower side of the left side of the display screen 7a in the front direction (that is, by arranging the upper end of the left side variation curve 8LaK in the back side and arranging the lower end of the left side variation curve 8LaK in the front side). Accordingly, the size of the number pattern 8La in the left performance pattern 8L invading from the upper side of the left side of the display screen 7a inwards becomes smaller, and the size of the number pattern 8La in the left performance pattern 8L popping out toward the lower side of the left side of the display screen 7a becomes larger. In conjunction with this, the normal to the surface (front side) of the number pattern 8La in the left performance pattern 8L moves so that it is parallel to the tangent direction of the left side fluctuation curve 8LaK, and at the separation and combination position, the surface (front side) of the number pattern 8La in the left performance pattern 8L shown in Figure 96 (F) faces forward (towards the player).

In addition, the number pattern 8Ra in the right performance pattern 8R moves counterclockwise along the right-side fluctuation curve 8RaK, penetrating inward from the upper side of the right side of the display screen 7a, passing through the separation and merging position which is the leftmost point of the right-side fluctuation curve 8RaK, and popping out toward the lower side of the right side of the display screen 7a. At this time, the number pattern 8Ra in the right performance pattern 8R moves counterclockwise along the planar right-side fluctuation curve 8RaK. However, the right side variation curve 8RaK may be arranged three-dimensionally by arranging the upper end of the right side variation curve 8RaK where the number pattern 8Ra in the right performance pattern 8R invades from the upper side of the right side of the display screen 7a in the depth direction, and arranging the lower end of the right side variation curve 8RaK where the number pattern 8Ra in the right performance pattern 8R pops out toward the lower side of the right side of the display screen 7a in the front direction (that is, by arranging the upper end of the right side variation curve 8RaK in the back side and arranging the lower end of the right side variation curve 8RaK in the front side). Accordingly, the size of the number pattern 8Ra in the right performance pattern 8R invading from the upper side of the right side of the display screen 7a inwards becomes smaller, and the size of the number pattern 8Ra in the right performance pattern 8R popping out toward the lower side of the right side of the display screen 7a becomes larger. In conjunction with this, the normal to the surface (front side) of the number pattern 8Ra in the right performance pattern 8R moves so that it is parallel to the tangent direction of the right-side fluctuation curve 8RaK, and at the separation and combination position, the surface (front side) of the number pattern 8Ra in the right performance pattern 8R shown in Figure 96 (G) faces forward (towards the player).

In addition, the number pattern 8Ca in the middle performance pattern 8C moves clockwise along the middle fluctuation curve 8CaK in a display mode in which it invades to the right from the vertical line passing through the uppermost point of the middle fluctuation curve 8CaK, passes through the separation and merging position which is the lowermost point of the middle fluctuation curve 8CaK, and is again sucked in from the left side of the vertical line passing through the uppermost point of the middle fluctuation curve 8CaK. At this time, the number pattern 8Ca in the middle performance pattern 8C moves clockwise along the planar middle fluctuation curve 8CaK. However, the middle fluctuation curve 8CaK may be arranged three-dimensionally by arranging the uppermost point of the middle fluctuation curve 8CaK in the depth direction and arranging the separation and merging position which is the lowermost point of the middle fluctuation curve 8CaK in the front direction (i.e., by arranging the uppermost point of the middle fluctuation curve 8CaK in the back and arranging the separation and merging position which is the lowermost point of the middle fluctuation curve 8CaK in the front). As a result, the size of the number patterns 8Ca in the middle performance pattern 8C, which invade to the right of the vertical line passing through the uppermost point of the middle fluctuation curve 8CaK, or are sucked in from the left of the vertical line passing through the uppermost point of the middle fluctuation curve 8CaK, becomes smaller, and the size of the number patterns 8Ca in the middle performance pattern 8C, which pass through the separation and combination position, which is the lowermost point of the middle fluctuation curve 8CaK, becomes larger. In addition, along with this, the normal to the surface (front side) of the number pattern 8Ca in the middle performance pattern 8C moves so that it is parallel to the tangent direction of the right-side fluctuation curve 8RaK, and just before the separation and combination position shown in Figure 96 (G), it rotates around so that the surface (front side) of the number pattern 8Ca in the middle performance pattern 8C faces forward (towards the player), and when it passes the separation and combination position, it rotates around again so that the normal to the surface (front side) of the number pattern 8Ca in the middle performance pattern 8C moves so that it is parallel to the tangent direction of the right-side fluctuation curve 8RaK.

In addition, the character design 8Lb in the left performance pattern 8L, the character design 8Cb in the middle performance pattern 8C, and the character design 8Rb in the right performance pattern 8R begin to change by moving vertically from the top to the bottom of each of the above-mentioned vertical strip areas. However, as they move from the top to the bottom of each vertical strip area, the size of the character design may change from small to gradually larger, giving the character design a depth as a moving display mode, and the character design may be displayed as approaching the front from the back.

[Separation and combination of performance patterns B]
Next, the separation and combination performance B of the performance symbols will be described with reference to Fig. 97. In the above-mentioned separation and combination performance A of the performance symbols, the performance symbol is executed from the start of the variable performance (variable display) of the performance symbol to the time of the stop display, whereas in the separation and combination performance B of the performance symbols, the performance symbol is executed when the player starts playing and the game ball enters the starting hole in a state where the waiting screen in the customer waiting state is displayed on the display screen 7a, or when the game screen is switched to the waiting screen and displayed on the display screen 7a because the state where the game ball does not enter the starting hole continues for a while while the player is playing, the performance symbol is different from the separation and combination performance A of the performance symbols and the separation and combination performance B of the performance symbols. Furthermore, in the separation and combination performance A of the performance patterns, the number patterns and the character patterns separate and combine at the separation and combination position, whereas in the separation and combination performance B of the performance patterns, the number patterns and the character patterns separate and combine at the stopping position, which is a difference between the separation and combination performance A of the performance patterns and the separation and combination performance B of the performance patterns.

Here, we will explain the case where a player who has been seated in front of gaming machine 1 and played finishes playing, leaves his/her seat after a loss is confirmed and displayed, and then the screen switches from the left performance symbol 8L, center performance symbol 8C, and right performance symbol 8R, which shows a confirmed loss, to a standby screen, which is waiting for customers, and the player (or another player) sits in front of gaming machine 1 again to play.

First, when a standby screen in which the gaming machine 1 is waiting for customers is displayed on the display screen 7a, as shown in Figures 97(A) and (B), the left performance pattern 8L has a display mode in which part of the character's pattern 8Lb moves when stopped (here, the display mode in which the two horns on the head of character A in character A's pattern 8Lb close and open is repeated), the middle performance pattern 8C has a display mode in which part of the character's pattern 8Cb moves when stopped (here, the display mode in which the sword held in character F's right hand in character F moves up and down in character F's pattern 8Cb is repeated), and the right performance pattern 8R has a display mode in which part of the character's pattern 8Rb moves when stopped (here, the display mode in which the sword held in character G's right hand in character G moves up and down in character G's pattern 8Rb is repeated). In other words, the left performance pattern 8L, the middle performance pattern 8C, and the right performance pattern 8R themselves are displayed stopped at the stop position, but part of the character patterns in the left performance pattern 8L, the middle performance pattern 8C, and the right performance pattern 8R are displayed in a moving manner, and the number patterns are separated from the character patterns and are not displayed (the number patterns have disappeared from the display screen 7a).

Thereafter, when a player (or another player) sits in front of the gaming machine 1 and begins playing, and a gaming ball enters the first starting hole 20, as shown in FIG. 97(C), in order to start the changing performance (changing display) of the performance symbols, the left performance symbol 8L is displayed (appears) again with the number "1" symbol 8La having a bright green color in front of the character A's symbol 8Lb, and is in a combined and stopped state, the middle performance symbol 8C is displayed (appears) again with the number "6" symbol 8Ca having a bright blue color in front of the character F's symbol 8Cb, and is in a combined and stopped state, and the right performance symbol 8R is displayed (appears) again with the number "7" symbol 8Ra having a bright red color in front of the character G's symbol 8Rb, and is in a combined and stopped state. When the display is stopped, the display mode in which part of the character's design moves in the left performance pattern 8L, the center performance pattern 8C, and the right performance pattern 8R ends, and the character's design becomes stationary.

When the left performance pattern 8L, the middle performance pattern 8C, and the right performance pattern 8R are displayed in a stopped state with the number pattern and the character pattern combined, the performance pattern change performance (changing display) starts as shown in FIG. 97 (D), and the performance pattern moves slowly (at a low speed) from the stopped position toward the top in a floating display mode of a predetermined distance (for example, about 5 millimeters) (in other words, after the stopped display of the performance pattern is released and the performance pattern is in a display mode in which it is about to move), it gradually increases its speed from a low speed toward the bottom, changing from an opaque state to a semi-transparent state and changing at high speed. This allows the background image located behind the performance pattern to be viewed through the semi-transparent performance pattern that is changing at high speed.

Then, just before stopping, the performance symbols slow down and change from a semi-transparent state to an opaque state again, and at the stopping position, as shown in Figure 97 (E), the left performance symbol 8L is displayed as a temporarily stopped symbol with the character B's symbol 8Lb attached to the bright blue number "2" symbol 8La, the right performance symbol 8R is displayed as a temporarily stopped symbol with the character F's symbol 8Rb attached to the bright blue number "6" symbol 8Ra, and the middle performance symbol 8C is displayed as a temporarily stopped symbol with the character C's symbol 8Cb attached to the bright green number "3" symbol 8Ca.

When the left performance symbol 8L is temporarily stopped, a part of the character B's symbol 8Lb moves (here, the display mode in which the two horns on the head of character B in the character B's symbol 8Lb close and open is repeated). When the right performance symbol 8R is temporarily stopped, a part of the character F's symbol 8Rb moves (here, the display mode in which the sword held in the right hand of character F in the character F's symbol 8Rb moves up and down is repeated). When the center performance symbol 8C is temporarily stopped, a part of the character C's symbol 8Cb moves (here, the display mode in which the sword held in both arms of character C in the character C's symbol 8Cb moves up and down is repeated). Furthermore, in the temporary stop display state, the display mode may also be such that the left performance pattern 8L, the center performance pattern 8C, and the right performance pattern 8R move in small increments up and down based on the stop position (for example, by 2.5 mm up and 2.5 mm down based on the stop position (i.e., a swing width of 5 mm)).

When a predetermined time (e.g., 2 seconds) has elapsed since the provisional stop display, the left performance pattern 8L, the middle performance pattern 8C, and the right performance pattern 8R are displayed stopped at the stop position as shown in FIG. 97(F), and since they do not match the same number pattern, a miss is confirmed. When they are displayed stopped, the display mode in which part of the character patterns in the left performance pattern 8L, the middle performance pattern 8C, and the right performance pattern 8R move ends, and the character patterns become stationary. When a miss is confirmed, the variable icon 9C disappears from the display screen 7a. Note that in the provisional stop display state, if the left performance pattern 8L, the middle performance pattern 8C, and the right performance pattern 8R are displayed in a mode in which they move up and down in small increments based on the stop position, they will move to the stop position and be displayed stopped.

After that, while the player is playing, the game ball does not enter the first starting hole 20 for a while, and therefore, although it is humiliating for the player, the game screen shown in FIG. 97(F) switches to a standby screen in which the gaming machine 1 is waiting for customers, and the standby screen is displayed on the display screen 7a. When the game screen switches to the standby screen, as shown in FIG. 97(G), the number figures of the left performance pattern 8L, the center performance pattern 8C, and the right performance pattern 8R, which were stopped and displayed at the stopping position in FIG. 97(F), are hidden (disappear from the display screen 7a).

Specifically, when switching from the game screen to the standby screen, the left performance pattern 8L displayed at the stopping position in Figure 97 (F) has the number "2" pattern 8La separated from character B's pattern 8Lb and hidden (disappears from the display screen 7a), leaving only character B's pattern 8Lb; the middle performance pattern 8C displayed at the stopping position in Figure 97 (F) has the number "3" pattern 8Ca separated from character C's pattern 8Cb and hidden (disappears from the display screen 7a), leaving only character C's pattern 8Cb; and the right performance pattern 8R displayed at the stopping position in Figure 97 (F) has the number "6" pattern 8Ra separated from character F's pattern 8Rb and hidden (disappears from the display screen 7a), leaving only character F's pattern 8Rb. In other words, the left performance pattern 8L, the middle performance pattern 8C, and the right performance pattern 8R themselves are displayed stopped at the stop position, but part of the character patterns in the left performance pattern 8L, the middle performance pattern 8C, and the right performance pattern 8R are displayed in a moving manner, and the number patterns are separated from the character patterns and are not displayed (the number patterns have disappeared from the display screen 7a).

When the figures of the numbers are separated from the left performance pattern 8L, the middle performance pattern 8C, and the right performance pattern 8R and are hidden (disappear from the display screen 7a), the standby screen in which the gaming machine 1 is in a waiting state for customers is displayed on the display screen 7a, and as shown in FIG. 97(H), at the stop position, a part of the character B's pattern 8Lb in the left performance pattern 8L moves (here, the display mode in which the two horns on the head of character B in the character B's pattern 8Lb close and open is repeated), and a part of the character F's pattern 8Rb in the right performance pattern 8R moves (here, the display mode in which the sword held in the right hand of character F moves up and down in the character F's pattern 8Rb is repeated). A part of the character C's pattern 8Cb in the middle performance pattern 8C moves (here, the display mode in which the sword held in both arms of character C in the character C's pattern 8Cb moves up and down is repeated).

In the separation and combination performance B of the performance symbols, the display mode in which part of the pattern 8Lb of character B in the left performance symbol 8L in Figure 97 (H) moves is the same as the display mode in which part of the pattern 8Lb of character B in the left performance symbol 8L in Figure 97 (E) moves, the display mode in which part of the pattern 8Cb of character C in the middle performance symbol 8C in Figure 97 (H) moves is the same as the display mode in which part of the pattern 8Cb of character C in the middle performance symbol 8C in Figure 97 (E) moves, and the display mode in which part of the pattern 8Rb of character F in the right performance symbol 8R in Figure 97 (H) moves is the same as the display mode in which part of the pattern 8Rb of character F in the right performance symbol 8R in Figure 97 (E) moves.

After that, when the player plays and finally the game ball enters the first starting hole 20, as shown in FIG. 97(I), the left performance pattern 8L is in a state where the number "2" 8La with a bright blue color is displayed (appears) again on the front side of the character A's pattern 8Lb, and the center performance pattern 8C is in a state where the number "3" 8Ca with a bright green color is displayed (appears) again on the front side of the character F's pattern 8Cb, and the right performance pattern 8R is in a state where the number "6" 8Ra with a bright blue color is displayed (appears) again on the front side of the character G's pattern 8Rb, and the right performance pattern 8R is in a state where the character patterns are displayed (appears) again on the front side of the character G's pattern 8Rb. When they are displayed, the display mode in which some of the character patterns move ends, and the character patterns are displayed in a stationary mode. Here, the player plays a game and finally a game ball enters the first starting hole 20. Then, game balls enter the first starting hole 20 in succession, and two reserved icons 9A are displayed on the display screen 7a, meaning that there are only two balls stored that have not been consumed.

When the reserved icon 9A displayed at the first reserved display position 9Ad moves to the variable display position 9Cd and becomes the variable icon 9C, as shown in FIG. 97(J), the performance pattern moves again from the stopped position toward the upper side slowly (at a low speed) in a display mode in which it floats a predetermined distance (for example, about 5 millimeters) (in other words, after the display mode in which the performance pattern is about to move due to the stop display of the performance pattern being released), it gradually increases its speed from a low speed toward the lower side, changing from an opaque state to a semi-transparent state and changing at high speed. As a result, the background image located behind the performance pattern can be seen through the semi-transparent performance pattern that is changing at high speed. When the reserved icon 9A displayed at the first reserved display position 9Ad moves to the variable display position 9Cd, the reserved icon 9A displayed at the second reserved display position 9Ad moves to the first reserved display position 9Ad, and a state is created in which only one reserved icon 9A is stocked without being consumed.

After that, if the left performance pattern 8L, the middle performance pattern 8C, and the right performance pattern 8R do not all line up as the same number, a loss is confirmed, whereas if the left performance pattern 8L, the middle performance pattern 8C, and the right performance pattern 8R all line up as the same number, a win is confirmed, and then a winning game begins in which the player is awarded a profit.

In addition, in the separation and combination performance B of the performance symbols, as shown in Fig. 97 (A), (B), (G), and (H), the left performance symbol 8L, the middle performance symbol 8C, and the right performance symbol 8R themselves are displayed stopped at the stop position during standby, but the display mode is such that parts of the character symbols in the left performance symbol 8L, the middle performance symbol 8C, and the right performance symbol 8R move, and the number symbols are separated from the character symbols and are not displayed (the number symbols have disappeared from the display screen 7a). At this time, in addition to the display mode in which parts of the character symbols move, each performance symbol itself, which is a coin-shaped three-dimensional image, may be displayed in a rotating mode. For example, the right side of the left performance symbol 8L rotates toward the left side of the left performance symbol 8L toward the front side, or the left side of the left performance symbol 8L rotates toward the right side of the left performance symbol 8L toward the front side, with the vertical line passing through the center of the coin as the rotation axis. The center effect pattern 8C and the right effect pattern 8R also rotate in the same way as the left effect pattern 8L. Of course, when the left effect pattern 8L, the right effect pattern 8R, and the left effect pattern 8L are displayed in a rotating manner, the display mode in which part of the character's design moves continues.

In addition, in the separation and combination performance B of the performance symbols, as shown in Figures 97 (A), (B), (G), and (H), while waiting, the left performance symbol 8L, the center performance symbol 8C, and the right performance symbol 8R themselves are displayed stopped at the stop position, but part of the character symbols in the left performance symbol 8L, the center performance symbol 8C, and the right performance symbol 8R are displayed in a moving manner, and the number symbols are separated from the character symbols and are not displayed (the number symbols have disappeared from the display screen 7a). At this time, sounds such as "It's time to play," "There's more to come," and "I'm waiting" by the voice actor corresponding to any of the character symbols in the left performance symbol 8L, the center performance symbol 8C, and the right performance symbol 8R may be output (played) from the speaker 67.

[Separation and combination of performance patterns C]
Next, the separation and combination performance C of the performance symbols will be described with reference to Fig. 98. In the above-mentioned separation and combination performance A of the performance symbols, it is executed from the start of the variable performance (variable display) of the performance symbols until it is stopped and displayed, and in the separation and combination performance B of the performance symbols, it is executed when the player starts playing and the game ball enters the starting hole in a state where a waiting screen in a customer waiting state is displayed on the display screen 7a, or when the game screen is switched to the waiting screen and displayed on the display screen 7a because the state where the game ball does not enter the starting hole continues for a while while the player is playing, whereas in the separation and combination performance C of the performance symbols, it is executed in a big win opening (big win opening screen) or a specific round (specific round screen) during a winning game in which a profit is given to the player, in that respect, the separation and combination performance A and B of the performance symbols and the separation and combination performance C of the performance symbols are different. Furthermore, in separation and combination performance A of the performance symbols, the number patterns and character patterns separate and combine at the separation and combination position, in separation and combination performance B of the performance symbols, the number patterns and character patterns separate and combine at the stopping position, and in separation and combination performance C of the performance symbols, the number patterns and character patterns separate when a win is displayed, and the number patterns and character patterns combine when the winning game ends, in this respect, separation and combination performance A and B of the performance symbols differ from separation and combination performance B of the performance symbols.

As shown in FIG. 98(A), on the display screen 7a of the image display device 7, at the stopped position, the left performance pattern 8L is displayed as a bright blue number "2" pattern 8La with character B pattern 8Lb attached, the middle performance pattern 8C is displayed as a bright green number "3" pattern 8Ca with character C pattern 8Cb attached, and the right performance pattern 8R is displayed as a bright blue number "6" pattern 8Ra with character F pattern 8Rb attached, and since a miss has been confirmed, the variable icon 9C has disappeared from the display screen 7a.

Here, the reserve icon 9A is displayed at the first reserve display position 9Ad and the second reserve display position 9Ad, and no reserve icon is displayed at the third reserve display position 9Ad and the fourth reserve display position 9Ad. In other words, there are only two reserve icons 9A that have not been consumed and are stocked. For ease of explanation, the following explanation assumes that no game balls enter the first start hole 20 or the second start hole 21.

Next, when the reserved icon 9A displayed at the first reserved display position 9Ad moves to the variable display position 9Cd and becomes the variable icon 9C, the variable display of the performance pattern (variable display) begins, as shown in FIG. 98 (B). When the reserved icon 9A displayed at the first reserved display position 9Ad moves to the variable display position 9Cd, the reserved icon 9A displayed at the second reserved display position 9Ad moves to the first reserved display position 9Ad, and a state is created in which only one reserved icon 9A remains stocked without being consumed.

When the performance pattern change (changing display) begins, the performance pattern moves slowly (at a low speed) from the stopped position toward the top in a floating display mode for a predetermined distance (for example, about 5 millimeters) (in other words, the stopped display of the performance pattern is released, and the performance pattern enters a display mode in which it is about to move), and then it gradually speeds up from a low speed toward the bottom, changing from an opaque state to a semi-transparent state and changing at high speed. This allows the background image located behind the performance pattern to be viewed through the semi-transparent performance pattern as it changes at high speed.

Then, just before stopping, the performance patterns slow down and change from a translucent state to an opaque state again, and as shown in Figure 98 (C), at the stopping position, the left performance pattern 8L is displayed as a temporarily stopped pattern 8La of the number "6" which has a bright blue color, with the character F's pattern 8Lb attached, and the display mode of the sword held in character F's right hand in character F's pattern 8Lb moving up and down is repeated, the middle performance pattern 8C is displayed as a temporarily stopped pattern 8Ca of the number "6" which has a bright blue color, with the character F's pattern 8Cb attached, and the display mode of the sword held in character F's right hand in character F's pattern 8Cb moving up and down is repeated, and the right performance pattern 8R is displayed as a temporarily stopped pattern 8Ra of the number "6" which has a bright blue color, with the character F's pattern 8Rb attached, and the display mode of the sword held in character F's right hand in character F's pattern 8Rb moving up and down is repeated. In other words, the left performance pattern 8L, the center performance pattern 8C, and the right performance pattern 8R are all temporarily stopped and displayed with the same number pattern (here, the number "6" in a bright blue color).

Then, the display mode of the sword held by character F in his right hand moving up and down in the pattern 8Lb of character F ends, the pattern of character F becomes stationary, and the left performance pattern 8L is displayed stationary, the display mode of the sword held by character F in his right hand moving up and down in the pattern 8Cb of character F ends, the pattern of character F becomes stationary, and the middle performance pattern 8C is displayed stationary, and the display mode of the sword held by character F in his right hand moving up and down in the pattern 8Rb of character F ends, the pattern of character F becomes stationary, and the right performance pattern 8R is displayed stationary. In other words, the left performance pattern 8L, the middle performance pattern 8C, and the right performance pattern 8R are all displayed stationary with the same number pattern (here, the number "6" in a bright blue color).

Next, as shown in Figure 98 (D), the left performance pattern 8L, the middle performance pattern 8C, and the right performance pattern 8R are hidden (disappear from the display screen 7a), and the variable display position 9Cd, the first hold display position 9Ad to the fourth hold display position 9Ad, the variable icon 9C, and the hold icon 9A are also hidden (disappear from the display screen 7a), and a large message image MG1 saying "Jackpot" is displayed in the center of the display screen 7a, and the screen changes to the jackpot display screen.

At the timing when this jackpot display screen is displayed on the display screen 7a, the bright blue numbers "6" 8La, 8Ca, and 8Ra are separated from the character F's figures 8Lb, 8Cb, and 8Rb in the performance pattern 8L, center performance pattern 8C, and right performance pattern 8R, respectively.

Next, when the message image MG1 is hidden (disappears from the display screen 7a), as shown in Figure 98 (E), the jackpot opening begins, and in the jackpot opening screen of Figure 98 (C), the character F's patterns 8Lb, 8Cb, and 8Rb (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as "character F's patterns") in the performance pattern 8L, middle performance pattern 8C, and right performance pattern 8R, which are aligned to form the same number "6", invade multiple times from the upper right side of the display screen 7a toward the lower left side of the display screen 7a, and as shown in Figure 98 (F), during the jackpot opening (jackpot opening screen), a display pattern in which the character F's pattern appears (appears) multiple times one after another from the upper right side of the display screen 7a toward the lower left side of the display screen 7a and disappears from the lower left side of the display screen 7a is repeated. The big win opening begins, and the image of character F invades from the top right of the display screen 7a in a display mode in which part of the image of character F moves (here, the image of character F repeats a display mode in which the sword held in character F's right hand moves up and down).

When the big win opening ends, the symbols of the multiple characters F are hidden from the display screen 7a (disappear from the display screen 7a), and round 1 begins as shown in FIG. 98(G) (the screen for round 1 is displayed). A message image MG2 indicating round 1, "round 1," is displayed on the upper left side of the display screen 7a. After that, as the rounds are played out and round 5, which is a specific land, begins (the screen for round 5, which is a specific round screen, is displayed), a message image MG3 indicating round 5, "round 5," is displayed on the upper left side of the display screen 7a as shown in FIG. 98(H), and a display mode in which multiple symbols of the character F appear (appear) one after another from the top side of the display screen 7a to the bottom side and then disappear from the bottom side of the display screen 7a is repeated. When round 5, which is a specific land, begins, the symbol of the character F invading from the top side of the display screen 7a is displayed in a display mode in which a part of the symbol of the character F moves (here, the display mode in which the sword held by the character F in the right hand moves up and down in the symbol of the character F is repeated). The display mode in which part of the character F's design moves in Figure 98 (H) is the same as the display mode in which part of the character F's design moves in Figures 98 (E) and (F), but differs in that the direction in which the character F's design moves in Figure 98 (H) (from the upper left to the lower right of the display screen 7a (a straight line going down to the left)) is different from the direction in which the character F's design moves in Figure 98 (F) (from the top to the bottom of the display screen 7a (a vertical line)).

When round 5, which is a specific land, ends, the images of multiple characters F are hidden from the display screen 7a (disappear from the display screen 7a), and then, when all rounds have been played and the jackpot ending begins, as shown in Figure 98 (I), a large message image MG4 is displayed in the center of the display screen 7a, with "Number of jackpots: 1" on the top row indicating the number of jackpots, and "Total number: XXXX" on the bottom row indicating the number of game balls acquired (note that numbers are displayed in place of "XXXX").

At the timing when this big win ending screen is displayed on the display screen 7a, the bright blue number "6" patterns 8La, 8Ca, and 8Ra in the performance pattern 8L, center performance pattern 8C, and right performance pattern 8R are combined again with the character F's patterns 8Lb, 8Cb, and 8Rb.

When the big win ending ends, as shown in Figure 98 (J), the big win ending screen switches to a game screen in which the left performance pattern 8L, center performance pattern 8C, and right performance pattern 8R, which were temporarily stopped in Figure 98 (C), are displayed in their stopped positions on the display screen 7a.

When the reserved icon 9A displayed at the first reserved display position 9Ad moves to the variable display position 9Cd and becomes the variable icon 9C, as shown in FIG. 98(K), the performance pattern moves again from the stopped position toward the upper side slowly (at a low speed) in a floating display mode of a predetermined distance (for example, about 5 millimeters) (in other words, after the display mode of the performance pattern is changed to the display mode in which the performance pattern is about to move due to the stop display of the performance pattern being released), and then the display mode changes from an opaque state to a semi-transparent state while gradually increasing the speed from a low speed toward the lower side, and changes at a high speed. As a result, the background image located behind the performance pattern can be seen through the semi-transparent performance pattern that is changing at high speed. When the reserved icon 9A displayed at the first reserved display position 9Ad moves to the variable display position 9Cd, the reserved icon 9A is not consumed and there is no stock at all.

After that, if the left performance pattern 8L, the middle performance pattern 8C, and the right performance pattern 8R do not all line up as the same number, a loss is confirmed, whereas if the left performance pattern 8L, the middle performance pattern 8C, and the right performance pattern 8R all line up as the same number, a win is confirmed, and then a winning game begins in which the player is awarded a profit.

In addition, in the separation and combination performance C of the performance symbols, when round 5, which is a specific land, is started, as shown in FIG. 98(G), a display mode in which multiple symbols of character F appear (appear) one after another from the top edge to the bottom edge of the display screen 7a and then disappear from the bottom edge of the display screen 7a is repeated. At this time, a display mode in which symbols of other characters also appear (appear) from the top edge to the bottom edge of the display screen 7a mixed in with the symbol of character F and then disappear from the bottom edge of the display screen 7a may be included. At this time, the symbols of other characters are also displayed in a mode in which parts of the symbols of other characters move. In this way, for example, if a screen switching from left-handed play to right-handed play, which is advantageous for the player, is displayed on the display screen 7a after the big win game has ended, the images of other characters will appear among the image of character F in FIG. 98(G), giving the player a sense of anticipation that the screen switching to right-handed play may appear on the display screen 7a after the big win game has ended.

In addition, in the separation and combination performance C of the performance symbols, when round 5, which is a specific land, is started, as shown in FIG. 98(G), a display mode in which the symbol of character F appears (appears) one after another from the top side to the bottom side of the display screen 7a and then disappears from the bottom side of the display screen 7a is repeated. At this time, the display mode in which part of the symbol of character F moves is the same as the display mode in which part of the symbol of character F moves when it is temporarily stopped and displayed in FIG. 98(C). However, the display mode in which part of the symbol of character F moves in FIG. 98(G) may be a display mode in which part of the symbol of character F moves in a different manner, unlike the display mode in which part of the symbol of character F moves when it is temporarily stopped and displayed in FIG. 98(C). In this way, for example, if a screen switching from left-handed play to right-handed play, which is advantageous for the player, is displayed on the display screen 7a after the big win game has ended, by making the display mode such that part of the image of character F moves in a different way in FIG. 98(G), it is possible to give the player a sense of anticipation that a screen switching to right-handed play may appear on the display screen 7a after the big win game has ended.

Also, when the big win opening starts, the display mode in which the character F's pattern appears (appears) one after another from the upper right side of the display screen 7a to the lower left side of the display screen 7a, and then disappears from the lower left side of the display screen 7a was repeated. However, in the opposite direction, the character F's pattern may appear (appears) one after another from the lower left side of the display screen 7a to the upper right side of the display screen 7a, and then disappear from the upper right side of the display screen 7a. Also, for example, the character F's pattern may enter the display screen 7a from the outside of the display screen 7a in a vortex, and then be sucked in while rotating toward the center of the display screen 7a and disappear, or in the opposite direction, the character F's pattern may fly out to the outside of the display screen while rotating from the center of the display screen 7a to the outside like a vortex and then disappear. Also, for example, a display mode in which the image of character F appears (emerges) multiple times from the right side to the left side of the display screen 7a and then disappears from the left side of the display screen 7a may be repeatedly performed, or in the opposite direction, a display mode in which the image of character F appears (emerges) multiple times from the left side to the right side of the display screen 7a and then disappears from the right side of the display screen 7a may be repeatedly performed.

[Example of effect]
Below are examples of the effects of separating and combining performance patterns.
[Effect 1]
In the gaming machine 1 of the above embodiment, the left performance pattern 8L, which is a coin-shaped three-dimensional image, the center performance pattern 8C, which is a coin-shaped three-dimensional image, and the right performance pattern 8R, which is a coin-shaped three-dimensional image (multiple types of images), which show the result of the lottery, are displayed statically after being displayed variably on the image display device 7 (display device), and the image display device 7 (display device) can display a character pattern (first image) and a number pattern (a second image different from the first image), and the character pattern (first image) and the number pattern (multiple types of images) are displayed statically on the image display device 7 (display device). After combining the character design (first image) and the number design (second image) from a state in which the design (second image) is separated, a first performance can be executed in which the combined character design (first image) and number design (second image) are displayed in a frozen state (Figures 96 (C) to (J) for performance design separation and combination performance A, Figures 97 (A) to (C) for performance design separation and combination performance B, and Figures 98 (D) to (J) for performance design separation and combination performance C). According to this configuration, after the character design (first image) and the number design (second image) are separated and then combined, the combined character design (first image) and number design (second image) are displayed in a frozen state, so that a novel presentation that has never been seen before, that is, the separation and combination of the character design (first image) and the number design (second image), can be provided to the player. Therefore, it is possible to improve the interest.

[Effect 2]
In the gaming machine 1 of the above embodiment, in the first performance of the separated and combined performance pattern A of the performance pattern in Figure 96, the separated and combined performance pattern B of the performance pattern in Figure 97, and the separated and combined performance pattern C of the performance pattern in Figure 98, a number pattern (second image) is placed in the lower center of the character pattern (a specified position of the first image) in front of the character pattern (first image) and combined, so that the number pattern (second image) can cover at least a portion of the character pattern (first image). According to this configuration, even if the character design (first image) and the number design (second image) are separated, they are combined by arranging the number design (second image) in front of the character design (first image) at the center below the character design (predetermined position of the first image). Therefore, the positional relationship between the character design (first image) and the number design (second image) does not change each time they are separated and combined, making it possible to prevent the separation and combination of the character design (first image) and the number design (second image) from being an eyesore.

[Effect 3]
In the gaming machine 1 of the above embodiment, after combining the character pattern (first image) and the number pattern (second image), a second performance can be executed in which at least a part of the character pattern (first image) moves until the combined character pattern (first image) and number pattern (second image) are stopped (FIGS. 96(F)-(I) for performance pattern separation and combination performance A, FIG. 97(E) for performance pattern separation and combination performance B, and FIG. 98(C) for performance pattern separation and combination performance C). According to this configuration, after combining the character pattern (first image) and the number pattern (second image), the display mode in which at least a part of the character pattern (first image) moves can be used to suggest that the character pattern (first image) and number pattern (second image) will be stopped. Furthermore, by displaying the character design (first image) in such a manner that at least a part of the character design (first image) moves after the character design (first image) and the number design (second image) are combined, it is possible to prevent the player from misunderstanding that the timing at which the character design (first image) and the number design (second image) are combined is the timing of the stopped display.

[Effect 4]
In the gaming machine 1 of the above embodiment, after the character pattern (first image) and the number pattern (second image) are combined, when the combined character pattern (first image) and the number pattern (second image) are stopped and displayed, the third performance of separating the character pattern (first image) and the number pattern (second image) can be executed (FIG. 96(B) for performance pattern separation and combination performance A, FIG. 97(G) for performance pattern separation and combination performance B, and FIG. 98(D) for performance pattern separation and combination performance C). According to this configuration, when the character pattern (first image) and the number pattern (second image) are stopped and displayed, they are separated, so that the player himself can discover the combination of the character pattern (first image) and the number pattern (second image), and the novelty of the character pattern (first image) and the number pattern (second image) can be prevented from losing.

[Effect 5]
In the gaming machine 1 of the above embodiment, after the character pattern (first image) and the number pattern (second image) are combined and displayed as stopped, the display screen is switched to a waiting screen (predetermined screen), a big win opening screen (predetermined screen), and a specific round screen (predetermined screen), and a fourth performance can be executed in which at least a part of the character pattern (first image) moves (FIGS. 97(A), (B), and (H) for performance pattern separation and combination performance B, and FIG. 98(E), (F), and (H) for performance pattern separation and combination performance C). According to this configuration, when the character pattern (first image) and the number pattern (second image) are separated, and at least a part of the character pattern (first image) moves, the player's gaze can be directed to the character pattern (first image), and the player can be encouraged to pay attention to the character pattern (first image) on the predetermined screen.

[Effect 6]
In the gaming machine 1 of the above embodiment, in the fourth performance shown in Fig. 97 (A), (B), (H) in the separation and combination performance B of the performance symbols, and Fig. 98 (E), (F) in the separation and combination performance C of the performance symbols, the number pattern (second image) can be hidden on the waiting screen (predetermined screen), the big win opening screen (predetermined screen), and the specific round screen (predetermined screen). According to this configuration, when the display is stopped, the display does not switch to the predetermined screen while the display is stopped, but the character pattern (first image) and the number pattern (second image) are separated, and the number pattern (second image) is hidden, so that the player's gaze can be directed more toward the character pattern (first image).

[Modification]
Below are shown modified examples of separation and combination of performance patterns.
[Modification 1]
The separation and combination performance A of the performance symbols in Fig. 96, the separation and combination performance B of the performance symbols in Fig. 97, and the separation and combination performance C of the performance symbols in Fig. 98 are performed based on the game ball entering the first starting hole 20. In other words, they are performed in a game state called left-handed hitting. However, they may be performed based on the game ball entering the second starting hole 21. In other words, they may be performed in a game state called right-handed hitting.

[Modification 2]
In the separation and combination performance B of the performance pattern in FIG. 97 and the separation and combination performance C of the performance pattern in FIG. 98, the left performance pattern 8L, the middle performance pattern 8C, and the right performance pattern 8R are displayed variably from the upper side to the lower side of the display screen 7a of the image display device 7. However, the left performance pattern 8L, the middle performance pattern 8C, and the right performance pattern 8R may be displayed variably from the right side to the left side of the display screen 7a of the image display device 7. In this case, the display area 7a is arranged such that the upper horizontal band area is the variable area of the left performance pattern 8L located at the top, the middle horizontal band area is the variable area of the middle performance pattern 8C located in the middle, and the lower horizontal band area is the variable area of the right performance pattern 8R located at the bottom.

[Modification 3]
In the separation and combination performance A of the performance symbols in Fig. 96, the separation and combination performance B of the performance symbols in Fig. 97, and the separation and combination performance C of the performance symbols in Fig. 98, at least a part of the character patterns (first image) in the left performance symbol 8L, which is a coin-shaped three-dimensional image, the center performance symbol 8C, which is a coin-shaped three-dimensional image, and the right performance symbol 8R, which is a coin-shaped three-dimensional image (multiple types of images), are displayed in a moving manner. However, the character patterns (first images) may be displayed in a manner in which they move within the coin outline of the coin-shaped three-dimensional image. In this way, by increasing the variety of display modes in which the character patterns move, it is possible to contribute to increasing the interest of players in the separation and combination performance of the performance symbols.

[Modification 4]
In the separation and merging performance A of the performance pattern in FIG. 96, the separation and merging performance B of the performance pattern in FIG. 97, and the separation and merging performance C of the performance pattern in FIG. 98, the number pattern and the character pattern are separated and merged. When the number pattern and the character pattern are separated, a separation sound may be output (played) from the speaker 67, and when the number pattern and the character pattern are merged, a merged sound may be output (played) from the speaker 67. Examples of the separation sound and the merged sound include "don", "zun", "clack", "huu", "kacha", "pyuu", and "picon", and the separation sound and the merged sound may be different sounds, or the separation sound and the merged sound may be the same sound.

[Modification 5]
In the separation and combination performance A of the performance patterns in Fig. 96, the separation and combination performance B of the performance patterns in Fig. 97, and the separation and combination performance C of the performance patterns in Fig. 98, the character A is attached to the number "1", the character B is attached to the number "2", the character C is attached to the number "3", the character D is attached to the number "4", the character E is attached to the number "5", the character F is attached to the number "6", the character G is attached to the number "7", the character H is attached to the number "8", and the character I is attached to the number "9", and the number patterns are each attached with different character patterns having multiple colors (full color). However, after the number patterns and the character patterns are separated, when the number patterns and the character patterns are combined again, the combination of the number patterns and the character patterns may be different before and after the separation and combination. In this way, the combination of the combined number designs and character designs will be different before and after the separation and combination, giving the player a sense of anticipation that he or she may win.

[Modification 6]
In the separation and merging performance A of the performance pattern in FIG. 96, the separation and merging performance B of the performance pattern in FIG. 97, and the separation and merging performance C of the performance pattern in FIG. 98, the performance pattern is composed of a number pattern and a character pattern, and the number pattern and the character pattern are separated and merging. However, the reserved icon and the variable icon may also be made to perform a performance in which the item pattern and the character pattern are separated and merging. For example, if the reserved icon and the variable icon are composed of an item pattern and a character pattern, the reserved icon 9A displayed at the second reserved display position 9Ad is composed of a sword (item pattern) and a warrior character (character pattern), and the warrior character (character pattern) is holding the sword (item pattern) in his right hand. In other words, the reserved icon 9A displayed at the second reserved display position 9Ad is in a state in which the sword (item pattern) and the warrior character (character pattern) are merging. After that, when the reserved icon 9A displayed at the first reserved display position 9Ad moves to the variable display position 9Cd and becomes the variable icon 9C, the reserved icon 9A displayed at the second reserved display position 9Ad starts to move to the first reserved display position 9Ad, and the warrior character (character design) throws a sword (item design) from his right hand in a parabolic arc toward the first reserved display position 9Ad. As a result, the reserved icon 9A is in a state in which the sword (item design) is separated from the warrior character (character design). Then, when the warrior character (character design) moves from the second reserved display position 9Ad to the first reserved display position 9Ad, the warrior character (character design) at the first reserved display position 9Ad is in a state in which the sword (item design) that was just thrown is falling, and the warrior character (character design) is in a state of holding the falling sword (item design) again with his right hand. In other words, the pending icon 9A that has moved to the first pending display position 9Ad is in a state in which the sword (item design) and the warrior character (character design) have been combined again.

After that, when the reserved icon 9A displayed at the first reserved display position 9Ad starts to move to the variable display position 9Cd, the warrior character (character design) throws a sword (item design) from his right hand in a parabolic arc toward the variable display position 9Cd. As a result, the reserved icon 9A is in a state where the sword (item design) is separated from the warrior character (character design). Then, when the warrior character (character design) moves from the first reserved display position 9Ad to the variable display position 9Cd, the warrior character (character design) is in a state where the sword (item design) that was just thrown is falling at the variable display position 9Cd, and the warrior character (character design) is once again grabbing the falling sword (item design) with his right hand. In other words, the variable icon 9C that has moved to the variable display position 9Cd is in a state where the sword (item design) and the warrior character (character design) are combined again. In this way, for the reserved icon 9A and the variable icon 9C, it is possible to perform an effect in which the item design and the character design are separated and combined (of course, for the reserved icon 9B, it is also possible to perform an effect in which the item design and the character design are separated and combined).

[Modification 7]
In the separation and combination performance A of the performance symbols in FIG. 96, the separation and combination performance B of the performance symbols in FIG. 97, and the separation and combination performance C of the performance symbols in FIG. 98, the performance symbols are composed of numbers and characters as a three-dimensional image of a coin shape, and are arranged so that the character symbols are contained within the outer shape of the coin shape. However, instead of the three-dimensional image of a coin shape, a three-dimensional image of a vertically long rectangular shape of a card type may be composed of numbers and characters, and the character symbols may be arranged so that they are contained within the outer shape of the vertically long rectangular shape. In this case, the number symbols may be arranged at the center of the lower side of the outer shape of the vertically long rectangular shape, and may be arranged so that they are arranged in front of the character symbols so as not to protrude into the outer shape of the vertically long rectangular shape and are combined with each other, and the number symbols may be arranged so that they protrude downward from the outer shape of the vertically long rectangular shape and are arranged in front of the character symbols and are combined with each other, and the number symbols may be arranged so that they cover at least a part of the character symbols. Also, instead of a three-dimensional coin-shaped image, the size of the character design may not be limited within the outline of a predetermined shape such as a coin shape, and the performance design may be composed of three-dimensional number designs and three-dimensional character designs. In this case, the number designs are arranged in front of the character designs and combined, so that the number designs cover at least a part of the character designs.

[Modification 8]
In the separation and combination performance A of the performance symbols in Fig. 96, the separation and combination performance B of the performance symbols in Fig. 97, and the separation and combination performance C of the performance symbols in Fig. 98, the performance symbols are composed of numbers and characters as a three-dimensional image of a coin shape, the character symbols are arranged so as to fit within the outer shape of the coin shape, the numbers are arranged in front of the character symbols in a state of protruding downward from the lower center of the character symbols (i.e., the lower center of the outer shape of the coin shape) and are combined, so that the numbers cover at least a part of the character symbols. However, as long as the numbers cover at least a part of the character symbols, they may be arranged in other positions, for example, the numbers may be arranged in the center of the character symbols (the center point of the coin).

[Modification 9]
The separated and combined performance A of the performance patterns in Figure 96, the separated and combined performance B of the performance patterns in Figure 97, and the separated and combined performance C of the performance patterns in Figure 98 may not include some of the effects described above, or other effects may be added.

[Example of embodiment]
In the gaming machine of this embodiment, the following aspects can be realized.
◇ [Aspect B6-1]
A gaming machine that displays a plurality of types of images showing the results of a lottery on a display device through a variably displayed and then stopped display,
The display device is capable of displaying a first image and a second image different from the first image;
executing a first performance of stopping and displaying the combined first image and the second image after combining the first image and the second image from a state in which the first image and the second image are separated;
A gaming machine characterized by:

◇ [Aspect B6-2]
The gaming machine according to aspect B6-1,
In the first performance, the second image is arranged in front of the first image at a predetermined position of the first image, and the two images are combined to cover at least a part of the first image with the second image.
A gaming machine characterized by:

◇ [Aspect B6-3]
The gaming machine according to aspect B6-2,
After the first image and the second image are combined, a second performance is executed in which at least a part of the first image is displayed in a moving manner until the combined first image and the second image are displayed stationary.
A gaming machine characterized by:

◇ [Aspect B6-4]
A gaming machine according to any one of Aspects B6-1 to B6-3,
After the first image and the second image are combined, when the combined first image and the second image are stopped and displayed, a third performance is then executed in which the first image and the second image are separated.
A gaming machine characterized by:

Aspect B6-5
The gaming machine according to aspect B6-4,
a fourth performance is executed in which the first image and the second image are combined and displayed in a stopped state, and then the display is switched to a predetermined screen in which at least a part of the first image moves;
A gaming machine characterized by:

◇[Aspect B6-6]
The gaming machine according to aspect B6-5,
In the fourth performance, the second image is not displayed on the predetermined screen.
A gaming machine characterized by:

Below, character suggestion performances A to C across multiple variations are explained using Figures 99 to 101. In Figures 99 to 101, the various movable props, decorative members, and background images arranged around the front (forward) of the display screen 7a of the image display device 7 have been omitted for ease of viewing. Figure 99 is a diagram for explaining character suggestion performance A across multiple variations, Figure 100 is a diagram for explaining character suggestion performance B across multiple variations, and Figure 101 is a diagram for explaining character suggestion performance C across multiple variations.

This character suggestion effect spanning multiple variations is an effect in which a character appears, then the character becomes a variation icon, and suggests the expected probability of a hit for the variation in the multiple variations. In other words, the image control microcomputer 101 analyzes various commands received from the sub-control board 90, and if an instruction to execute a character suggestion effect spanning multiple variations is included, it reads out the corresponding image data from the ROM 103 and displays the image on the display screen 7a of the image display device 7.

Here, we will first explain the performance patterns, then explain character suggestion performance A across multiple changes, character suggestion performance B across multiple changes, and character suggestion performance C across multiple changes in that order.

[Performance design]
First, a brief description of the performance symbols will be given. On the display screen 7a of the image display device 7, the left performance symbol 8L of the stereoscopic image, the center performance symbol 8C of the stereoscopic image, and the right performance symbol 8R of the stereoscopic image are displayed from the top to the bottom of the display screen 7a in a display mode in which the reels rotate, and the performance symbols (symbols: numbers "1" to "9") are displayed in a variable performance (variable display). In the variable performance (variable display) of a plurality of performance symbols, the performance symbols are displayed in a display mode in which the reels rotate in the order of number "1" → number "2" → number "3" → number "4" → number "5" → number "6" → number "7" → number "8" → number "9" → number "1" → number "2" → ... The number "7" has a bright red color, and the odd numbers "1", "3", "5" and "9" except for the number "7" all have the same bright green color. The even numbers "2", "4", "6" and "8" all have the same bright blue color.

When the performance pattern change performance (changing display) starts, the performance pattern displayed in a stopped state at the stop position moves slowly (at a low speed) in a floating display mode toward the upper side for a predetermined distance (for example, about 5 millimeters) (in other words, after the display mode in which the performance pattern is about to move due to the stop display of the performance pattern being released), and then changes from an opaque state to a semi-transparent state while gradually increasing the speed from a low speed toward the lower side, and changes at a high speed. This allows the background image placed behind the performance pattern to be viewed through the semi-transparent performance pattern that is changing at high speed. The performance pattern slows down just before stopping and changes from a semi-transparent state to an opaque state again, and is displayed as a temporary stop at the stop position, or is displayed as a stop (displayed as a temporary stop, and then displayed as a stop). When the performance pattern is displayed as a temporary stop, it moves slowly in small vertical steps (for example, 2.5 mm upward and 2.5 mm downward based on the stop position (i.e., only a swing width of 5 mm)). The background image is, for example, a normal background image such as a city image, a forest image, an ocean image, an ocean bottom image, or an underground image, and is a still image or a moving image. In this embodiment, the background image is a normal background image, and a city image is displayed.

[Character suggestion performance A across multiple changes]
Next, the character suggestion performance A across multiple variations will be described with reference to Fig. 99. Here, the number of game balls that have entered the first starting hole 20 is not displayed at all on the display screen 7a as an image called a reserved icon, but is displayed by the first special pattern reserved display 43a of the display devices 40 arranged on the game board 2. As described above, the first special pattern reserved display 43a displays the number of reserved operations (first special pattern reserved) stored in the first special pattern display 41a (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as "special pattern 1 reserved number").

The character suggestion performance A across multiple variations is started (executed) when the number of reserved balls reaches a predetermined number (here, three balls) and the number of reserved balls that have not yet been used for pattern variation (i.e., the number of balls for which variation display has not yet started) reaches a predetermined number (here, three balls). The number of reserved balls at which the character suggestion performance A across multiple variations is started can be changed. In this embodiment, when a waiting screen in a customer waiting state is displayed on the display screen 7a, the player can display a setting screen by pressing the performance button 63 provided on the front frame 53 or pressing the select button 68 having up, down, left and right push buttons (pressing the upper side of the upper push button, pressing the right side of the right push button, pressing the lower side of the lower push button, and pressing the left side of the left push button), and from among various items, the number of reserved balls can be set to either three balls (value 3) or four balls (value 4) in the "Play End Notification" item. The default for the limit notification (the value that is set as the initial value when power is restored) is set to four balls (value 4) as the number of reserved balls. Here, we will assume that the player has set the number of reserved balls for the limit notification to three balls (value 3).

When the performance pattern change (change display) starts, there are two reserved balls (the number of reserved special pattern 1 is 2), and the two leftmost LEDs of the four LEDs on the first special pattern reserve display 43a of the display 40 are lit (red light), and the remaining two LEDs are off. When a game ball enters the first starting hole 20 during the performance pattern change (change display), the number of reserved balls increases from two to three (the number of reserved special pattern 1 increases from a value of two to a value of three), as shown in FIG. 99(A), and the three leftmost LEDs of the four LEDs on the first special pattern reserve display 43a of the display 40 are lit (red light), and the remaining LED is off.

To inform the player that the number of reserved balls has reached three, a message image MG stating "Number of reserved balls: 3" is displayed toward the right center of the bottom edge of the display screen 7a, and a character CRA holding a sword in his right hand (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "character CRA in first pose") is displayed small on the bottom left side of the display screen 7a. The position at which the character CRA is displayed is within the variable area of the left performance pattern 8L, but the character CRA is positioned behind the left performance pattern 8L and in front of a background image (not shown) so as not to obstruct the visibility of the left performance pattern 8L.

After that, at the stop position, the left performance pattern 8L is displayed as a temporary stop with the number "6" having a bright blue color, the right performance pattern 8R is displayed as a temporary stop with the number "5" having a bright green color, and the center performance pattern 8C is displayed as a temporary stop with the number "7" having a bright red color. Then, as shown in FIG. 99(B), the left performance pattern 8L, the center performance pattern 8C, and the right performance pattern 8R do not match the same pattern and are displayed as stopped, and a miss is confirmed. At this time, the message image MG is displayed on the right side of the center of the bottom edge of the display screen 7a, and further, the character CRA is displayed in the first position on the lower left side of the display screen 7a without changing its position. At this point, the player stops operating the handle 60 and interrupts the release of the game ball.

When the four LEDs on the first special symbol reserve display 43a of the display 40 shift to the left, the effect symbol change effect (changing display) begins. When this shift begins, the two LEDs from the left are lit (lit in red) and the remaining two LEDs are turned off.

When the performance pattern change performance (changing display) starts, as shown in Figure 99 (C), the character CRA in the first posture that was displayed on the lower left side of the display screen 7a starts moving, changing posture while increasing in size, toward the center of the display screen 7a, and when it reaches the center of the display screen 7a, the character CRA assumes a posture in which it is holding a sword with both arms (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as "character CRA in second posture"). At this time, the message image MG is hidden (disappears from the display screen 7a) toward the right of the center of the bottom side of the display screen 7a.

While the character CRA moves and after it has completed its movement, it moves through the variable areas of the left performance pattern 8L and the middle performance pattern 8C, but by positioning the character CRA behind the left performance pattern 8L and the middle performance pattern 8C and in front of a background image (not shown), it is ensured that it does not obstruct the visibility of the left performance pattern 8L and the middle performance pattern 8C.

When the character CRA is displayed in the center of the display screen 7a, it becomes a variable icon that indicates to the player the expected probability of a win for that variation by changing the character CRA's posture or by enlarging part of the character CRA.

During the change in the performance pattern (changing display), the posture of the character CRA does not change, and no part of the character CRA is enlarged, and the character CRA in the second posture is displayed in the center of the display screen 7a. In this way, the posture of the character CRA that has become a changing icon does not change, and no part of the character CRA that has become a changing icon is enlarged, suggesting to the player that the expectation of a win for that change is low.

After that, at the stopping position, the left performance pattern 8L is displayed as a tentatively stopped number "1" in bright green, the right performance pattern 8R is displayed as a tentatively stopped number "3" in bright green, and the middle performance pattern 8C is displayed as a tentatively stopped number "2" in bright blue, and then, as shown in Figure 99 (D), the left performance pattern 8L, the middle performance pattern 8C, and the right performance pattern 8R do not line up with the same pattern and are displayed as stopped, confirming a miss. At this time, the character CRA in the second posture is displayed in the center of the display screen 7a without changing its posture.

When the four LEDs on the first special symbol reserve display 43a of the display 40 shift to the left, the effect symbol change effect (changing display) begins. When this shift begins, only the first LED from the left is lit (lit in red) and the remaining three LEDs are turned off.

When the performance pattern change performance (changing display) starts, as shown in Figure 99 (E), the character CRA remains displayed in the second posture in the center of the display screen 7a without changing its posture, and the character CRA continues to be displayed across multiple changes.

After that, during the change in the performance pattern (change display), as shown in FIG. 99(F), the character CRA changes to a third posture in which he lets go of the sword and spreads his arms, and the upper body of the character CRA in the third posture (i.e., part of the character CRA) is enlarged and displayed large in the center of the display screen 7a. In this way, the posture of the character CRA that has become a changing icon changes, and further, a part of the character CRA that has become a changing icon is enlarged, suggesting to the player that the expectation of a hit for that change is not low. Note that the character CRA in the third posture is positioned behind the left performance pattern 8L, the middle performance pattern 8C, and the right performance pattern 8R and in front of the background image (not shown) so as not to obstruct the visibility of the left performance pattern 8L, the middle performance pattern 8C, and the right performance pattern 8R.

After that, as shown in FIG. 99(G), the character CRA in the third position is hidden (disappears from the display screen 7a), and at the stopping position, the left performance pattern 8L is displayed as a temporarily stopped number "8" in bright blue, the right performance pattern 8R is displayed as a temporarily stopped number "8" in bright blue, and a reach is formed in which the center performance pattern 8C is changing. When a character suggestion performance A spanning multiple changes has started, if a reach is formed, it does not become a so-called normal reach, but develops into a reach performance with a higher probability of winning compared to a normal reach.

After that, the left performance pattern 8L, the middle performance pattern 8C, and the right performance pattern 8R are hidden (disappear from the display screen 7a), and as shown in FIG. 99(H), the screen for displaying the variable performance patterns (variable performance) is switched to the screen for the battle performance, and the battle performance is started. The background image for the battle performance is a still image or a moving image of the inside of an old castle or a base. In this battle performance, the character CRA appears again from the right side of the display screen 7a, the enemy character CRB appears from the left side of the display screen 7a, and the character CRA and the enemy character CRB fight in the center of the display screen 7a, and it is a reach performance with a high hit expectation. If the character CRA is defeated and the enemy character CRB wins in the battle performance, it is a miss, whereas if the character CRA wins and the enemy character CRB is defeated in the battle performance, it is a big win. In addition, the character CRA in the battle performance changes into multiple battle postures, which are different from the first posture to the third posture.

In the battle performance, character CRA is defeated and enemy character CRB wins, and the screen switches again from the battle performance screen to the screen for displaying the changing performance symbols (changing performance), switching from the background image for the battle performance to the normal background image, and at the stop position, the left performance symbol 8L is displayed temporarily as the number "8" with a bright blue color, the center performance symbol 8C is displayed temporarily as the number "9" with a bright green color, and the right performance symbol 8R is displayed temporarily as the number "8" with a bright blue color. When the screen switches from the battle performance screen to the screen for displaying the changing performance symbols (changing performance), this triggers the character CRA in the second posture to be displayed in the center of the display screen 7a again. After that, as shown in FIG. 99(I), the left performance symbol 8L, center performance symbol 8C, and right performance symbol 8R do not match the same pattern and are displayed temporarily, and a miss is confirmed. At this time, the character CRA in the second posture is displayed in the center of the display screen 7a without changing its posture. As described above, the character CRA in the second posture is positioned behind the middle performance pattern 8 and in front of the background image (not shown) so as not to impede the visibility of the middle performance pattern 8C.

When the character CRA wins and the enemy character CRB is defeated in the battle performance, the screen switches again from the battle performance screen to the screen showing the change in the performance symbols (change performance), and at the stop position, the left performance symbol 8L is temporarily displayed as the number "8" with a bright blue color, the center performance symbol 8C is temporarily displayed as the number "8" with a bright blue color, and the right performance symbol 8R is temporarily displayed as the number "8" with a bright blue color. Even if the screen switches from the battle performance screen to the screen showing the change in the performance symbols (change performance), this does not cause the character CRA in the second position to be displayed again on the display screen 7a. After that, the left performance symbol 8L, the center performance symbol 8C, and the right performance symbol 8R are stopped and displayed in the same pattern (here, the number "8" with a bright blue color), a win is confirmed, and the character suggestion performance A across multiple changes ends. After that, a winning game in which the player is given a profit will begin. In FIG. 99 (E), of the four LEDs on the first special chart reserved display 43a of the display 40, only the first LED from the left was lit (lit in red), and the remaining three LEDs were off. In other words, there was one reserved ball that was the target for character suggestion performance A across multiple variations, but even after the winning game ended, character suggestion performance A across multiple variations was not performed again for this one reserved ball.

When the four LEDs on the first special symbol reserve display 43a of the display 40 shift to the left, the effect symbol change (changing display) begins. When this shift begins, all LEDs, i.e., all four LEDs, are turned off.

When the effect pattern change effect (change display) starts, as shown in FIG. 99(J), the posture of the character CRA does not change, but the upper body of the character CRA in the second posture (i.e., part of the character CRA) is enlarged and displayed large in the center of the display screen 7a, and the character CRA continues to be displayed across multiple changes. In this way, although the posture of the character CRA that has become a change icon does not change, the fact that a part of the character CRA that has become a change icon is enlarged suggests to the player that the expectation of a hit for the change is not high, but not low, compared to when a battle effect is performed. In addition, when a part of the character CRA in the second posture is enlarged, the character CRA in the second posture is positioned behind the left performance pattern 8L, the center performance pattern 8C, and the right performance pattern 8R and in front of the background image (not shown) so as not to obstruct the visibility of the left performance pattern 8L, the center performance pattern 8C, and the right performance pattern 8R.

After that, the character CRA returns to its original size, although a part of the second posture character CRA was enlarged, and at the stop position, the left performance pattern 8L is temporarily stopped at the number "5" with a bright green color, the right performance pattern 8R is temporarily stopped at the number "4" with a bright blue color, and the center performance pattern 8C is temporarily stopped at the number "1" with a bright green color. Then, as shown in FIG. 99 (K), the left performance pattern 8L, the center performance pattern 8C, and the right performance pattern 8R do not match the same pattern and are stopped, a miss is confirmed, and the character suggestion performance A that spans multiple changes ends. At this time, the character CRA in the second posture is displayed in the center of the display screen 7a without changing the posture of the character CRA. Note that the character CRA may be made to disappear (disappear from the display screen 7a) when the change ends.

Before the left performance symbol 8L, the middle performance symbol 8C, and the right performance symbol 8R are stopped and displayed, the player operates the handle 60 again to launch the game ball. After that, two game balls in succession enter the first starting hole 20, and the leftmost two of the four LEDs on the first special symbol reservation display 43a of the display 40 are lit (red) and the remaining two LEDs are turned off.

When the four LEDs on the first special symbol reserve indicator 43a of the indicators 40 shift to the left, the effect symbol change effect (change display) begins. When this shift begins, the first LED from the left turns on (red light) and the remaining three LEDs turn off, and as shown in FIG. 99 (L), the effect symbol change effect (change display) begins. If the left effect symbol 8L, the center effect symbol 8C, and the right effect symbol 8R do not match and stop, a miss is confirmed. On the other hand, if the left effect symbol 8L, the center effect symbol 8C, and the right effect symbol 8R match and stop, a win is confirmed, and then a winning game begins in which the player is awarded a profit.

In the character suggestion performance A across multiple variations, when the message image MG "Number of reserved balls: 3" is displayed and the character CRA in the first position is displayed small on the lower left side of the display screen 7a, the player stops operating the handle 60 at this point and interrupts the launch of the game ball. Even if the player operates the handle 60 again when the character suggestion performance A across multiple variations is started (while the character suggestion performance A across multiple variations is being executed) to launch the game ball and the game ball enters the first starting hole 20, if the number of reserved balls in the special chart 1 is not the maximum, the value will increase, but the character suggestion performance A across multiple variations for this increased number of reserved balls will not be performed, and the character CRA will become a variation icon in a state where the number of variations is equal to the value of the number of reserved balls in the special chart 1 at the time when the character suggestion performance A across multiple variations is started, suggesting to the player the degree of expectation for the variation.

In addition, in the character suggestion performance A that spans multiple variations, when the number of reserved balls reaches three, a message image MG saying "Number of reserved balls: 3 balls" is displayed on the right side of the center of the bottom of the display screen 7a to inform the player that the number of reserved balls that have not yet been used for pattern variation (i.e., the number of balls for which variation display has not yet started) has reached three. At this time, together with or instead of the message image MG, the performance button 63 may be lit up in a predetermined color (e.g., lit up in white), or the performance button 63 may vibrate. Also, together with or instead of the message image MG, the handle 60 may be lit up in a predetermined color (e.g., lit up in a flashing white), or air may be sent out from the handle 60 to stimulate the palm of the player operating the handle 60.

[Character suggestion performance across multiple changes B]
Next, the character suggestion performance B across multiple variations will be described with reference to Fig. 100. In the character suggestion performance A across multiple variations described above, when the number of reserved balls set by the player is reached, the character becomes a variable icon and suggests the expectation level for the variation across multiple variations, whereas in the character suggestion performance B across multiple variations, it is executed when the number of reserved balls reaches 8 balls, and a specific image corresponding to the reserved ball is displayed to suggest the expectation level for the specific image, and when the character becomes a variable icon, the specific image is collided toward the character that has become the variable icon to suggest the expectation level for the variation. In this respect, the character suggestion performance A across multiple variations and the character suggestion performance B across multiple variations are different.

Here, the number of game balls that have entered the first starting hole 20 or the second starting hole 21 is not displayed at all on the display screen 7a as an image called a reserved icon, but is displayed by the first special symbol reserved indicator 43a and the second special symbol reserved indicator 43b of the indicators 40 arranged on the game board 2. As described above, the first special symbol reserved indicator 43a displays the number of activated reserved balls (first special symbol reserved) stored in the first special symbol indicator 41a (hereinafter, may be referred to as the "special symbol 1 reserved number"), and the second special symbol reserved indicator 43b displays the number of activated reserved balls (second special symbol reserved) stored in the second special symbol indicator 41b (hereinafter, may be referred to as the "special symbol 2 reserved number"), as described above.

Character suggestion performance B, which spans multiple changes, begins when the number of reserved balls for special chart 1 reaches a value of 4, the number of reserved balls for special chart 2 reaches a value of 4, the number of reserved balls reaches 8, and the number of reserved balls that have not yet been used for pattern change (i.e., the number of balls that have not yet started displaying the change) reaches 8.

At the time when the performance pattern change performance (change display) starts, the number of reserved special charts 1 becomes the maximum value of 4, the number of reserved special charts 2 becomes the value of 3, the number of reserved balls is 7, all four LEDs in the first special chart reserved display 43a of the display device 40 are lit (red light), the last three LEDs from the left of the four LEDs in the second special chart reserved display 43b of the display device 40 are lit (red light), and the remaining LED is turned off. When a game ball enters the second starting hole 21 during the performance pattern change performance (change display), as shown in FIG. 100 (A), the number of reserved special charts 2 becomes the maximum value of 4 from the value of 3, the number of reserved balls increases from 7 to 8, all four LEDs in the first special chart reserved display 43a of the display device 40 are lit (red light), and all four LEDs in the second special chart reserved display 43b of the display device 40 are lit (red light).

To inform the player that the number of reserved balls has reached eight, a message image MG stating "Number of reserved balls: 8" is displayed toward the right center of the bottom edge of the display screen 7a, and a character CRA holding a sword in his right hand (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "character CRA in first pose") is displayed small on the bottom left side of the display screen 7a. The position at which the character CRA is displayed is within the variable area of the left performance pattern 8L, but the character CRA is positioned behind the left performance pattern 8L and in front of a background image (not shown) so as not to obstruct the visibility of the left performance pattern 8L.

After that, at the stop position, the left performance pattern 8L is displayed as a temporary stop with the number "6" in bright blue, the right performance pattern 8R is displayed as a temporary stop with the number "5" in bright green, and the center performance pattern 8C is displayed as a temporary stop with the number "7" in bright red. Then, as shown in FIG. 99(B), the left performance pattern 8L, the center performance pattern 8C, and the right performance pattern 8R do not match the same pattern and are displayed as stopped, confirming a miss. At this time, a message image MG is displayed on the right side of the center of the bottom edge of the display screen 7a, and further, the character CRA is displayed in the first position on the lower left side of the display screen 7a without changing its position. At this point, the player stops operating the handle 60 and interrupts the release of the game ball.

When the left performance pattern 8L, the middle performance pattern 8C, and the right performance pattern 8R do not align to the same pattern and are displayed as stopped, eight specific images IG having a predetermined shape are arranged in a row from the upper center of the display screen 7a to the right side. The number of specific images IG is the total number of reserved special charts 1 and 2. In this embodiment, the reserved special chart 2 is consumed preferentially among the reserved special charts 1 and 2, so that after all reserved special charts 2 are consumed, the reserved special charts 1 will start to be consumed. As a result, the first specific image IG arranged at a specific position slightly to the left of the upper center of the display screen 7a corresponds to the first LED from the left among the four LEDs in the second special chart hold display 43b, the second specific image IG to the right of the first specific image IG corresponds to the second LED from the left among the four LEDs in the second special chart hold display 43b, the third specific image IG to the right of the second specific image IG corresponds to the third LED from the left among the four LEDs in the second special chart hold display 43b, and the fourth specific image IG to the right of the third specific image IG corresponds to the fourth LED from the left among the four LEDs in the second special chart hold display 43b. The fifth specific image IG to the right of the fourth specific image IG corresponds to the first LED from the left among the four LEDs on the first special chart hold display 43a, the sixth specific image IG to the right of the fifth specific image IG corresponds to the second LED from the left among the four LEDs on the first special chart hold display 43a, the seventh specific image IG to the right of the sixth specific image IG corresponds to the third LED from the left among the four LEDs on the first special chart hold display 43a, and the eighth specific image IG to the right of the seventh specific image IG corresponds to the fourth LED from the left among the four LEDs on the first special chart hold display 43a.

Because the number of reserved special figures 2 is given priority over the number of reserved special figures 1 and 2, when the number of reserved special figures 2 starts to be consumed, the four LEDs on the second reserved special figure indicator 43b of the display 40 shift to the left. As a result, the second specific image IG to the eighth specific image IG also shift to the left all at once, the first specific image IG is pushed out by the second specific image IG and thrown out of the specific position, the second specific image IG moves to the specific position, and the subsequent specific image IG also moves in succession. When the number of reserved special figures 2 is all consumed, the number of reserved special figures 1 starts to be consumed, and the four LEDs on the first reserved special figure indicator 43a of the display 40 shift to the left. As a result, the fifth specific image IG to the eighth specific image IG all shift to the left, the fifth specific image IG is pushed out by the sixth specific image IG and thrown out of the specific position, the sixth specific image IG moves to the specific position, and the subsequent specific images IG also move in succession.

Different shapes and colors of specific images IG indicate different expectations of winning during the lottery that corresponds to the specific image IG. For example, of five specific images IG, namely a yellow (gold) star-shaped specific image IG, a smiling specific image IG, a red spherical specific image IG, a blue spherical specific image IG, and a white spherical specific image IG, the yellow (gold) star-shaped specific image IG has the highest expectation of winning, the smiling specific image IG has the second highest expectation of winning, the red spherical specific image IG has the third highest expectation of winning, the blue spherical specific image IG has the fourth highest expectation of winning, and the white spherical specific image IG has the lowest expectation of winning.

Here, the first specific image IG is a blue spherical specific image IG, the second to sixth specific images IG are white spherical specific images IG, the seventh specific image IG is a red spherical specific image IG, and the eighth specific image IG is a white spherical specific image IG. In this way, the specific images IG are so-called pre-reading images that suggest the advance results, and players are highly interested in the eight specific images IG displayed on the display screen 7a.

When the four LEDs in the second special symbol reserved display 43b of the display 40 shift to the left, a variable performance (variable display) of the performance symbol begins, as shown in FIG. 100(C). When this shift begins, the three leftmost LEDs in the second special symbol reserved display 43b are lit (lit in red) and the remaining LED is turned off, and the second specific image IG to the eighth specific image IG also shift to the left all at once, the blue spherical first specific image IG is pushed out by the second specific image IG and thrown out of the specific position, the second specific image IG moves to the specific position, and the subsequent specific image IG also moves in succession.

When the performance pattern change performance (changing display) begins, the character CRA in the first posture that was displayed on the bottom left side of the display screen 7a starts to move, changing posture while increasing in size, toward the center of the display screen 7a, and when it reaches the center of the display screen 7a, the character CRA is in a posture holding a sword with both arms (hereinafter, may be referred to as "character CRA in second posture"). At this time, the message image MG is hidden (disappears from the display screen 7a) toward the right of the center of the bottom side of the display screen 7a.

While the character CRA moves and after it has completed its movement, it moves through the variable areas of the left performance pattern 8L and the middle performance pattern 8C, but by positioning the character CRA behind the left performance pattern 8L and the middle performance pattern 8C and in front of a background image (not shown), it is ensured that it does not obstruct the visibility of the left performance pattern 8L and the middle performance pattern 8C.

When the character CRA is displayed in the center of the display screen 7a, it becomes a variable icon that indicates to the player the expected probability of a win for that variation by changing the character CRA's posture or by enlarging part of the character CRA.

The blue spherical first specific image IG is thrown from a specific position and collides with the character CRA displayed in the center of the display screen 7a in a parabolic arc, exploding. This explosion causes an effect image to be displayed. Depending on the color and size of the effect image, the effect image may suggest to the player a change in the posture of the character CRA or an enlargement of part of the character CRA. The color of the effect image is the same color as the specific image IG, or a similar color. The shape and size of the effect image become more complex (for example, a more complex polygonal shape) and larger the size becomes, the higher the expected probability of a win suggested by the specific image IG.

The blue spherical first specific image IG is thrown from a specific position and collides with the character CRA, exploding, but the character CRA's posture does not change and no part of the character CRA is enlarged, leaving the character CRA in the second posture displayed in the center of the display screen 7a. In this way, the posture of the character CRA that has become a variable icon does not change, and no part of the character CRA that has become a variable icon is enlarged, suggesting to the player that the expectation of a win for that variation is low.

After that, at the stopping position, the left performance pattern 8L is displayed as a tentatively stopped number "1" in bright green, the right performance pattern 8R is displayed as a tentatively stopped number "3" in bright green, and the middle performance pattern 8C is displayed as a tentatively stopped number "2" in bright blue, and then, as shown in Figure 100 (D), the left performance pattern 8L, the middle performance pattern 8C, and the right performance pattern 8R do not line up with the same pattern and are displayed as stopped, confirming a miss. At this time, the character CRA in the second position is displayed in the center of the display screen 7a without changing its posture.

When the four LEDs in the second special symbol reserved display 43b of the display 40 shift to the left, a variable performance (variable display) of the performance symbol begins, as shown in FIG. 100(E). When this shift begins, the two leftmost LEDs in the second special symbol reserved display 43b are lit (lit in red) and the remaining two LEDs are turned off, and the third specific image IG to the eighth specific image IG also shift to the left all at once, the white spherical second specific image IG is pushed out by the third specific image IG and thrown out of the specific position, the third specific image IG moves to the specific position, and the subsequent specific images IG also move in succession.

When the performance pattern change performance (changing display) starts, the character CRA remains in the second posture displayed in the center of the display screen 7a without changing its posture, and the character CRA continues to be displayed in a state spanning multiple changes. At this time, the seventh specific image IG changes from a red spherical specific image IG to a yellow (gold) star-shaped specific image IG.

The white spherical second specific image IG is thrown from the specific position and collides in a parabolic arc towards the character CRA displayed in the center of the display screen 7a, exploding, but the posture of the character CRA does not change and no part of the character CRA is enlarged, leaving the character CRA in the second posture displayed in the center of the display screen 7a. In this way, the posture of the character CRA that has become a variable icon does not change, and no part of the character CRA that has become a variable icon is enlarged, suggesting to the player that the expectation of a win for that variation is low.

After that, the left performance pattern 8L, the middle performance pattern 8C, and the right performance pattern 8R do not line up with the same pattern, and are displayed as stopped, and the misses continue, and after all the reserved numbers for special pattern 2 are consumed, the consumption of the reserved numbers for special pattern 1 begins. After that, the performance pattern 8L, the middle performance pattern 8C, and the right performance pattern 8R do not line up with the same pattern, and are displayed as stopped, and the misses continue, and when the four LEDs on the first special pattern reserved indicator 43a of the indicators 40 shift to the left, the performance pattern change performance (changing display) begins, as shown in FIG. 100 (F). When this shift begins, the first LED from the left on the first special chart hold display 43a lights up (lights red) and the remaining three LEDs turn off, the seventh specific image IG to the eighth specific image IG all shift to the left, the yellow (gold) star-shaped seventh specific image IG is pushed out by the eighth specific image IG and thrown out of its specific position, and the eighth specific image IG moves to its specific position.

The seventh specific image IG, a yellow (gold) star-shaped image, thrown from a specific position, collides with the character CRA displayed in the center of the display screen 7a in a parabolic arc and explodes, causing the character CRA to change to a third posture in which the character CRA lets go of the sword and spreads both arms, and the upper body of the character CRA in the third posture (i.e., part of the character CRA) is enlarged and displayed large in the center of the display screen 7a. In this way, the posture of the character CRA that has become a variable icon changes, and further, a part of the character CRA that has become a variable icon is enlarged, suggesting to the player that the expectation of a hit for that change is not low. Note that the character CRA in the third posture is positioned behind the left performance pattern 8L, the center performance pattern 8C, and the right performance pattern 8R and in front of the background image (not shown) so as not to obstruct the visibility of the left performance pattern 8L, the center performance pattern 8C, and the right performance pattern 8R.

After that, as shown in FIG. 100(G), the character CRA in the third position is hidden (disappears from the display screen 7a), and at the stopping position, the left performance pattern 8L is displayed temporarily stopped at the number "8" in bright blue, the right performance pattern 8R is displayed temporarily stopped at the number "8" in bright blue, and a reach is formed in which the center performance pattern 8C is changing. When a character suggestion performance B spanning multiple changes has started, if a reach is formed, it does not become a so-called normal reach, but develops into a reach performance with a higher probability of winning compared to a normal reach.

After that, the left performance pattern 8L, the center performance pattern 8C, the right performance pattern 8R, and the white spherical eighth specific image IG are hidden (disappeared from the display screen 7a), and as shown in FIG. 100(H), the screen switches from the display of the variable display of the performance pattern (variable performance) to the screen of the battle performance, and the background image switches from the normal background image, which is the background image for the battle performance, which is a background image dedicated to the battle performance that is not included in the normal background image, and the battle performance begins. The background image for the battle performance is a still image or a moving image of the inside of an old castle or a base. In this battle performance, the character CRA appears again from the right side of the display screen 7a, the enemy character CRB appears from the left side of the display screen 7a, and the character CRA and the enemy character CRB fight in the center of the display screen 7a, and it is a reach performance in which the probability of winning is set high in advance. If character CRA is defeated and enemy character CRB wins in the battle performance, it is a miss, whereas if character CRA wins and enemy character CRB is defeated in the battle performance, it is a big win. Note that character CRA in the battle performance has a different posture from the first posture to the third posture, and changes to multiple types of battle postures.

In the battle performance, character CRA is defeated and enemy character CRB wins, and the screen switches again from the battle performance screen to the screen for the variable display of performance symbols (variable performance), switching from the background image for battle performance to the normal background image, and a white spherical eighth specific image is displayed at the specific position, and at the stop position, the left performance symbol 8L is temporarily displayed as the number "8" having a bright blue color, the center performance symbol 8C is temporarily displayed as the number "9" having a bright green color, and the right performance symbol 8R is temporarily displayed as the number "8" having a bright blue color. When the screen switches from the battle performance screen to the screen for the variable display of performance symbols (variable performance), this triggers the character CRA in the second posture to be displayed in the center of the display screen 7a again. After that, as shown in FIG. 100(I), the left performance symbol 8L, the center performance symbol 8C, and the right performance symbol 8R do not match the same pattern and are displayed as stopped, and a miss is confirmed. At this time, the character CRA in the second posture is displayed in the center of the display screen 7a without changing its posture. As described above, the character CRA in the second posture is positioned behind the middle performance pattern 8 and in front of the background image (not shown) so as not to impede the visibility of the middle performance pattern 8C.

In addition, when the character CRA wins in the battle performance and the enemy character CRB is defeated, the screen switches again from the battle performance screen to the screen of the change display of the performance symbols (change performance), and at the stop position, the left performance symbol 8L is temporarily displayed as the number "8" having a bright blue color, the center performance symbol 8C is temporarily displayed as the number "8" having a bright blue color, and the right performance symbol 8R is temporarily displayed as the number "8" having a bright blue color. Even if the screen switches from the battle performance screen to the screen of the change display of the performance symbols (change performance), this does not cause the character CRA in the second posture to be displayed again on the display screen 7a. After that, the left performance symbol 8L, the center performance symbol 8C, and the right performance symbol 8R are displayed as the same symbol (here, the number "8" having a bright blue color), the winning is confirmed, and the character suggestion performance B that spans multiple changes ends. After that, the winning game in which the player is given a profit will start. In FIG. 100(F), of the four LEDs on the first special chart reserved display 43a of the display 40, only the first LED from the left was lit (lit in red) and the remaining three LEDs were off. In other words, there was one reserved ball that was the target for character suggestion performance B across multiple variations, but even after the winning game ended, character suggestion performance B across multiple variations was not performed again for this one reserved ball.

When the four LEDs in the first special symbol reserved display 43a of the display devices 40 shift to the left, a variable performance (variable display) of the performance symbol begins, as shown in Fig. 100 (J). When this shift begins, all four LEDs in the first special symbol reserved display 43a go out, and the white spherical eighth specific image IG is thrown out from the specific position.

The white spherical eighth specific image IG is thrown from a specific position and collides in a parabolic arc towards the character CRA displayed in the center of the display screen 7a, exploding, but the posture of the character CRA does not change and no part of the character CRA is enlarged, leaving the character CRA in the second posture displayed in the center of the display screen 7a. In this way, the posture of the character CRA that has become a variable icon does not change, and no part of the character CRA that has become a variable icon is enlarged, suggesting to the player that the expectation of a win for that variation is low.

After that, at the stop position, the left performance pattern 8L is displayed as a temporary stop with the number "5" in bright green, the right performance pattern 8R is displayed as a temporary stop with the number "4" in bright blue, and the center performance pattern 8C is displayed as a temporary stop with the number "1" in bright green. Then, as shown in FIG. 100(K), the left performance pattern 8L, center performance pattern 8C, and right performance pattern 8R do not line up with the same pattern and are displayed as stopped, a miss is confirmed, and the character suggestion performance B, which spans multiple variations, ends. At this time, the character CRA in the second position is displayed in the center of the display screen 7a without changing the position of the character CRA. Note that the character CRA may be made to disappear (disappear from the display screen 7a) when the variation ends.

Before the left performance symbol 8L, the center performance symbol 8C, and the right performance symbol 8R are stopped and displayed, the player operates the handle 60 again to launch the game ball. After that, two game balls in succession enter the first starting hole 20, and the leftmost two of the four LEDs on the first special symbol reservation display 43a of the display 40 are lit (lit in red) and the remaining two LEDs are turned off.

When the four LEDs on the first special symbol reserve indicator 43a of the indicators 40 shift to the left, the effect symbol change effect (change display) begins. When this shift begins, the first LED from the left turns on (red light) and the remaining three LEDs turn off, and as shown in FIG. 100(L), the effect symbol change effect (change display) begins. If the left effect symbol 8L, the center effect symbol 8C, and the right effect symbol 8R do not match and stop, a miss is confirmed. On the other hand, if the left effect symbol 8L, the center effect symbol 8C, and the right effect symbol 8R match and stop, a win is confirmed, and then a winning game begins in which the player is awarded a profit.

In the character suggestion performance B across multiple variations, when the message image MG "Number of reserved balls: 8 balls" is displayed and the character CRA in the first position is displayed small on the lower left side of the display screen 7a, the player stops operating the handle 60 at this point and interrupts the launch of the game ball. The start of the character suggestion performance B across multiple variations reduces the number of specific images IG. Therefore, even if the player operates the handle 60 again when the character suggestion performance B across multiple variations is started (while the character suggestion performance B across multiple variations is being executed) to launch the game ball and the game ball enters the first start hole 20 or the second start hole 21, the value increases if the number of reserved balls in the special chart 1 is not the maximum, and the value increases if the number of reserved balls in the special chart 2 is not the maximum, but the character suggestion performance B across multiple variations is not performed for this increased number of reserved balls, and the number of specific images IG does not increase and is not displayed on the display screen 7a.

In addition, in the character suggestion performance B that spans multiple changes, when the number of reserved balls reaches 8, a message image MG saying "Number of reserved balls: 8 balls" is displayed on the right side of the center of the bottom of the display screen 7a to inform the player that the number of reserved balls that have not yet been used for pattern change (i.e., the number of balls for which change display has not yet started) has reached 8. At this time, together with or instead of the message image MG, the performance button 63 may emit light in a predetermined color (e.g., emit white light), or the performance button 63 may vibrate. Also, together with or instead of the message image MG, the handle 60 may emit light in a predetermined color (e.g., emit white light in a flashing manner), or air may be sent out from the handle 60 to stimulate the palm of the player who operates the handle 60.

In character suggestion performance B across multiple variations, the first start port 20 and the second start port 21 are placed as separate entities in the play area 3 defined on the play board 2. However, the first start port 20 and the second start port 21 may be combined into a single start port unit and placed in the play area 3. For example, the start port unit may have the first start port 20 on the left side and the second start port 21 on the right side, with the first start port 20 and the second start port 21 placed a predetermined distance apart (for example, 5 cm). In this case, the first starting port 20 and the second starting port 21 may be arranged on the same horizontal line, or the first starting port 20 may be arranged above the second starting port 21 so that the first starting port 20 and the second starting port 21 are arranged on a straight line sloping downward to the right, or the first starting port 20 may be arranged below the second starting port 21 so that the first starting port 20 and the second starting port 21 are arranged on a straight line sloping upward to the right.

In addition, one ball entrance may be provided on the upstream side (upper side) of the starting port unit, and the game balls that enter the ball entrance may be distributed to the left downstream side or the right downstream side via a distribution device, with the game balls distributed to the left downstream side entering the first starting port 20 provided on the left downstream side, and the game balls distributed to the right downstream side entering the second starting port 21 provided on the right downstream side. The distribution device has a shape of the English letter Y (or the English letter T) turned upside down in the vertical direction, and the left protrusion, the central protrusion, and the right protrusion are formed by connecting (integrating) the right end of the left protrusion and the left end of the right protrusion at the lower end of the central protrusion, and a through hole is formed at the lower end of the central protrusion. A rotating shaft is inserted into this through hole. As a result, the distribution device is supported by the rotating shaft, so that it can rotate and tilt to the left (rotate counterclockwise) or rotate and tilt to the right (rotate clockwise).

When the distribution device is tilted in a direction to distribute game balls to the downstream left, the central protrusion prevents game balls from entering the downstream right side, and in this state, when a game ball enters the ball entry port, the entering game ball collides with the left surface of the central protrusion and flows down to the upper surface of the left protrusion, pushing the left protrusion downward under its own weight, and enters the first starting port 20 provided on the downstream left side. When the game ball pushes the left protrusion downward under its own weight, the distribution device rotates and tilts to the left, and the central protrusion prevents game balls from entering the downstream left side, and the distribution device is tilted in a direction to distribute game balls to the downstream right side. In this state, when a game ball enters the ball entry port again, the entering game ball collides with the right surface of the central protrusion, flows down to the upper surface of the right-side protrusion, and pushes the right-side protrusion downward under its own weight, entering the second starting port 21 provided on the downstream right side. When the right-side protrusion is pushed downward under its own weight, the distribution device rotates and tilts to the right, and the central protrusion prevents the game ball from entering the downstream right side. In this way, each time a game ball enters the ball entry port, the distribution device repeatedly tilts alternately between a state inclined in a direction to distribute the game ball to the downstream left side and a state inclined in a direction to distribute the game ball to the downstream right side. As a result, when the game ball released by the player by operating the handle 60 enters the ball entrance provided in the starting unit, the number of reserved special charts 1 reaches a maximum of 4, the number of reserved special charts 2 reaches a maximum of 4, and the number of reserved balls reaches 8, a character suggestion performance B spanning multiple variations will start.

[Character suggestion performance across multiple changes C]
Next, the character suggestion performance C across multiple variations will be described with reference to Fig. 101. In the character suggestion performance A across multiple variations, when the number of reserved balls set by the player is reached, the character becomes a variable icon and suggests the expectation level for the variation across multiple variations, and in the character suggestion performance B across multiple variations, it is executed when the number of reserved balls reaches 8 balls, and a specific image corresponding to the reserved ball is displayed to suggest the expectation level for the specific image, and when the character becomes a variable icon, the specific image is collided toward the character that has become the variable icon to suggest the expectation level for the variation, whereas in the character suggestion performance C across multiple variations, when the result of the normal pattern lottery is a win, a game ball enters the second start hole 21 that is opened, and the characters become variable icons for the number of reserved balls in the second start hole 21 to suggest the expectation level for the variation. In this respect, the character suggestion performance A across multiple variations, the character suggestion performance B across multiple variations, and the character suggestion performance C across multiple variations are different from each other. In addition, in the character suggestion performances A and B spanning multiple changes described above, the reserve icons 9A, 9B and the reserve icon 9C are not displayed at all, whereas in the character suggestion performance C spanning multiple changes, the reserve icons 9A, 9B and the reserve icon 9C are displayed, which is a difference between the character suggestion performances A and B spanning multiple changes and the character suggestion performance C spanning multiple changes.

First, to briefly explain the variable icons and reserved icons, the variable icons 9C corresponding to the left performance pattern 8L, middle performance pattern 8C, and right performance pattern 8R that are currently changing as the first special chart reserved is consumed are displayed (placed) at the variable display position 9Cd (above the rectangular image (pedestal image)) displayed at the bottom center of the display screen 7a of the image display device 7. In the area to the left of the variable display position, a first reserved display area is provided for the first special chart reserved, and in the area to the right of the variable display position, a second reserved display area is provided for the second special chart reserved. In the first reserved display area, four reserved icons 9A can be displayed in a straight line, and a maximum of four reserved icons 9A can be stored. The four hold display positions 9Ad are aligned and displayed in a straight line along the bottom edge of the display screen 7a in the order of the first hold display position 9Ad, the second hold display position 9Ad, the third hold display position 9Ad, and the fourth hold display position 9Ad, from a position close to the variable display position 9Cd toward the left edge of the display screen 7a. In the second hold display area, four hold icons 9B can be displayed in a straight line, and a maximum of four hold icons 9B can be stored. The four hold display positions 9Bd are aligned and displayed in a straight line along the bottom edge of the display screen 7a in the order of the first hold display position 9Bd, the second hold display position 9Bd, the third hold display position 9Bd, and the fourth hold display position 9Bd, from a position close to the variable display position 9Cd toward the right edge of the display screen 7a.

The variable icon 9C and the reserved icons 9A and 9B (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as "icons") represent different expectations of winning for the variable icon 9C and the reserved icons 9A and 9B at the time of the lottery due to differences in shape and color. For example, of the five icons, namely, the yellow (gold) star icon, the smiley face icon, the red spherical icon, the blue spherical icon, and the white spherical icon, the yellow (gold) star icon has the highest expectation of winning, the smiley face icon has the second highest expectation of winning, the red spherical icon has the third highest expectation of winning, the blue spherical icon has the fourth highest expectation of winning, and the white spherical icon has the lowest expectation of winning. For this reason, players are highly interested in the variable icon 9C and the reserved icons 9A and 9B. In addition, the variable icon 9C, the hold icons 9A and 9B, the variable display position 9Cd, the first hold display position 9Ad to the fourth hold display position 9Ad, and the first hold display position 9Bd to the fourth hold display position 9Bd are positioned at the front side so that their visibility is not obstructed by the performance patterns, effect images, characters, etc.

The character suggestion performance C, which spans multiple variations, begins when the result of the normal symbol lottery is a winning one (normal symbol winning), and the auxiliary game that opens the second starting hole 21 begins.

The performance pattern change (change display) starts, and then, at the stop position, the left performance pattern 8L is temporarily stopped at the number "1" with a bright green color, the right performance pattern 8R is temporarily stopped at the number "3" with a bright green color, and the center performance pattern 8C is temporarily stopped at the number "2" with a bright blue color, and then, as shown in FIG. 101(A), the left performance pattern 8L, center performance pattern 8C, and right performance pattern 8R do not match the same pattern and are displayed as stopped, a miss is confirmed, and the change icon 9C is hidden (disappears from the display screen 7a). Here, a game ball enters the first start hole 20 before the left performance pattern 8L, center performance pattern 8C, and right performance pattern 8R are stopped, so the three reserved icons 9A are stored without being consumed.

When the hold icon 9A displayed at the first hold display position 9Ad moves to the variable display position 9Cd and becomes the variable icon 9C, the variable performance (variable display) of the performance pattern begins. When the hold icon 9A displayed at the first hold display position 9Ad moves to the variable display position 9Cd, the hold icon 9A displayed at the third hold display position 9Ad moves to the second hold display position 9Ad, and the hold icon 9A displayed at the second hold display position 9Ad moves to the first hold display position 9Ad, resulting in a state in which only two hold icons 9A remain stocked without being consumed.

When the variation display of the performance symbols starts and the result of the normal symbol lottery is a win (normal symbol win), the auxiliary game of opening the second starting hole 21 starts, and a horizontal strip-shaped telop area TP having a predetermined vertical distance dimension (e.g., 25 mm) is displayed (appears) at the frontmost position so as to be in contact with the upper left side, upper side, and upper right side of the display screen 7a, as shown in Fig. 101 (B). A background image is placed in the inner area of the horizontal strip-shaped telop area TP, and a telop text image TMG saying "Opening..." is placed in front of this background image to inform the player that the second starting hole 21 has been opened and it is easy for the game ball to enter. The telop character image TMG repeats a display mode in which it enters the right side of the horizontal strip-shaped telop area TP from the outside of the upper right side of the display screen 7a, moves toward the left side of the horizontal strip-shaped telop area TP at a constant speed, and then pops out toward the outside of the left side of the horizontal strip-shaped telop area TP (i.e., the upper left side of the display screen 7a). The background image placed in the inner area of the horizontal strip-shaped telop area TP is opaque with a set design and contrast to improve the visibility of the telop character image TMG "Now open...". Note that the background image placed in the inner area of the horizontal strip-shaped telop area TP may be opaque or semi-transparent as long as it is an image that can improve the visibility of the telop character image TMG "Now open...".

Furthermore, to encourage the player to enter the game ball into the second starting hole 21 (in other words, to inform the player that the second starting hole 21 is open and the game ball can be easily entered), a character CRA holding a sword in his right hand (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as "character CRA in the first position") is displayed small on the lower right side of the display screen 7a, and a message image MG saying "Aim!" is displayed to the left of the character CRA. The position where the character CRA is displayed is within the variable area of the right performance pattern 8R, but the character CRA is placed behind the right performance pattern 8R and in front of a background image (not shown) so as not to obstruct the visibility of the right performance pattern 8R. In addition, the position where the message image MG is displayed straddles the variable area of the middle performance pattern 8C and the variable area of the right performance pattern 8R, but the message image MG is placed behind the middle performance pattern 8C and the right performance pattern 8R and in front of a background image (not shown) so as not to obstruct the visibility of the middle performance pattern 8C and the right performance pattern 8R.

As shown in FIG. 101(C), during the change in the performance pattern (change in display), when a game ball enters the second start hole 21 while an auxiliary game is being played to open the second start hole 21, the first reserve display position 9Bd to the fourth reserve display position 9Bd are displayed (appear), and each time a game ball enters the second start hole 21, the reserve icon 9B is increased and stocked. At this time, a horizontal strip-shaped telop area TP is displayed, and a telop text image TMG saying "Opening..." is displayed, the character CRA is displayed in the first position on the lower right side of the display screen 7a without changing the position of the character CRA, and a message image MG saying "Aim!" is displayed to the left of the character CRA.

When the auxiliary game to open the second starting hole 21 ends during the variation of the performance pattern (variable display), the horizontal strip-shaped telop area TP and the telop text image TMG saying "Opening..." are hidden (disappear from the display screen 7a) as shown in FIG. 101 (D), and further, in order to inform the player of the number of balls that have entered the second starting hole 21 and become reserved balls while the auxiliary game to open the second starting hole 21 is being played, the message image MG saying "Aim!" is updated to the message image MG saying "Get two!" and displayed. In other words, here, the number of balls that have entered the second starting hole 21 and become reserved balls by the time the opening time from the start to the end of the auxiliary game to open the second starting hole 21 has elapsed is two. The hold icon 9B is displayed at the first hold display position 9Bd and the second hold display position 9Bd, and there are only two hold icons that have not been consumed and are stocked due to the entry of a game ball into the second start hole 21, and there are only two hold icons that have not been consumed and are stocked due to the entry of a game ball into the first start hole 20. At this time, the character CRA in the first position is displayed on the lower right side of the display screen 7a without changing its position.

After that, at the stop position, the left performance pattern 8L is displayed as a temporary stop with the number "6" having a bright blue color, the right performance pattern 8R is displayed as a temporary stop with the number "5" having a bright green color, and the center performance pattern 8C is displayed as a temporary stop with the number "7" having a bright red color, and the message image MG is hidden (disappears from the display screen 7a), and then, as shown in FIG. 101 (E), the left performance pattern 8L, the center performance pattern 8C, and the right performance pattern 8R do not match the same pattern and are displayed as stopped, a miss is confirmed, and the variable icon 9C is hidden (disappears from the display screen 7a). At this time, the character CRA in the first position is displayed on the lower right side of the display screen 7a without changing the position of the character CRA. At this point, the player stops operating the handle 60 and interrupts the launch of the game ball.

In this embodiment, of the reserved icon 9A that is stocked by the entry of a game ball into the first start hole 20 and the reserved icon 9B that is stocked by the entry of a game ball into the second start hole 21, the reserved icon 9B is consumed first, so that after all the reserved icons 9B have been consumed, the consumption of the reserved icons 9A begins.

Of the reserved icon 9A stocked by the entry of a game ball into the first start hole 20 and the reserved icon 9B stocked by the entry of a game ball into the second start hole 21, the reserved icon 9B is consumed first, so when the reserved icon 9B displayed at the first reserved display position 9Bd moves to the variable display position 9Cd and becomes the variable icon 9C, the variable performance (variable display) of the performance pattern begins. When the reserved icon 9B displayed at the first reserved display position 9Bd moves to the variable display position 9Cd, the reserved icon 9B displayed at the second reserved display position 9Bd moves to the first reserved display position 9Bd accordingly, and there is only one reserved icon 9B that has not been consumed and is stocked. At this time, the reserved icon 9A is not consumed, so there are only two reserved icons 9A that have not been consumed and are stocked.

When the changing performance (changing display) of the performance pattern begins, as shown in FIG. 101 (F), the character CRA in the first posture that was displayed on the lower right side of the display screen 7a starts to move, changing posture while increasing in size, toward the center of the display screen 7a, and when it reaches the center of the display screen 7a, the character CRA assumes a posture in which it is holding a sword with both arms (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as "character CRA in second posture").

Although the character CRA moves between the variable areas of the right performance pattern 8R and the middle performance pattern 8C during and after the movement is completed, the character CRA is positioned behind the right performance pattern 8R and the middle performance pattern 8C and in front of the background image (not shown) so as not to obstruct the visibility of the right performance pattern 8R and the middle performance pattern 8C. Of course, as described above, the variable icon 9C, the reserved icons 9A and 9B, the variable display position 9Cd, the first reserved display position 9Ad to the fourth reserved display position 9Ad, and the first reserved display position 9Bd to the fourth reserved display position 9Bd are positioned at the frontmost side, so the character CRA is positioned behind the variable icon 9C, the reserved icons 9A and 9B, the variable display position 9Cd, the first reserved display position 9Ad to the fourth reserved display position 9Ad, and the first reserved display position 9Bd to the fourth reserved display position 9Bd, and visibility is not obstructed by the character CRA.

When the character CRA is displayed in the center of the display screen 7a, the character CRA's posture may change, causing a change in the variable icon indicating the expected probability of a hit for that variation. In other words, if the variable icon indicating the expected probability of a hit for that variation is the "first variable icon," then the character CRA displayed in the center of the display screen 7a functions as a "second variable icon" that causes a change in the first variable icon, variable icon 9C, by changing its own posture. In this way, when the character CRA is displayed in the center of the display screen 7a, the variable icon is composed of the first variable icon and the second variable icon.

After that, when the character CRA in the second posture changes to a posture in which he is swinging the sword he is holding with both hands down toward the first variable icon, the variable icon 9C (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as "character CRA in the third posture"), the white spherical variable icon 9C changes to a yellow (gold) star-shaped variable icon 9C. Note that even when the character CRA changes from the second posture to the character CRA in the third posture, there are cases in which the white spherical variable icon 9C does not change to another color or shape, but remains in the white spherical variable icon 9C state.

After that, as shown in FIG. 101(G), the character CRA in the third position is hidden (disappears from the display screen 7a), and at the stopping position, the left performance pattern 8L is displayed as a temporarily stopped number "8" in bright blue, the right performance pattern 8R is displayed as a temporarily stopped number "8" in bright blue, and a reach is formed in which the center performance pattern 8C is changing. When a character suggestion performance C spanning multiple changes has started, if a reach is formed, it does not become a so-called normal reach, but develops into a reach performance with a higher probability of winning compared to a normal reach.

After that, the left performance pattern 8L, the middle performance pattern 8C, the right performance pattern 8R, the variable icon 9C, the reserved icon 9A, 9B, the variable display position 9Cd, the first reserved display position 9Ad to the fourth reserved display position 9Ad, and the first reserved display position 9Bd to the fourth reserved display position 9Bd are hidden (disappeared from the display screen 7a), and as shown in FIG. 101 (H), the screen for displaying the variable display of the performance pattern (variable performance) is switched to the screen for the battle performance, and the background image is switched from the normal background image, which is the background image for the battle performance, which is a background image dedicated to the battle performance that is not included in the normal background image, and the battle performance begins. The background image for the battle performance is a still image or a moving image of the inside of an old castle or a base. In this battle performance, the character CRA appears again from the right side of the display screen 7a, the enemy character CRB appears from the left side of the display screen 7a, and the character CRA and the enemy character CRB fight in the center of the display screen 7a, and it is a reach performance in which the probability of winning is set high in advance. If character CRA is defeated and enemy character CRB wins in the battle performance, it is a miss, whereas if character CRA wins and enemy character CRB is defeated in the battle performance, it is a big win. Note that character CRA in the battle performance has a different posture from the first posture to the third posture, and changes to multiple types of battle postures.

In the battle performance, character CRA is defeated and enemy character CRB wins, and the screen switches again from the battle performance screen to the screen for displaying the changeable display of the performance symbols (changeable performance), switching from the background image for the battle performance to the normal background image, and the changeable icon 9C, the reserved icons 9A and 9B, the changeable display position 9Cd, the first reserved display position 9Ad to the fourth reserved display position 9Ad, and the first reserved display position 9Bd to the fourth reserved display position 9Bd are displayed, and at the stop positions, the left performance symbol 8L is temporarily stopped and displayed as the number "8" having a bright blue color, the center performance symbol 8C is temporarily stopped and displayed as the number "9" having a bright green color, and the right performance symbol 8R is temporarily stopped and displayed as the number "8" having a bright blue color. When the screen switches from the battle performance screen to the screen for displaying the changeable display of the performance symbols (changeable performance), this triggers the character CRA in the second posture to be displayed in the center of the display screen 7a again. After that, as shown in FIG. 101(I), the left performance pattern 8L, the middle performance pattern 8C, and the right performance pattern 8R do not line up with the same pattern, and are displayed as stopped, a miss is confirmed, and the first variable icon, variable icon 9C, is hidden (disappears from display screen 7a). At this time, the character CRA in the second position is displayed in the center of display screen 7a without changing the posture of the character CRA. In other words, the first variable icon, variable icon 9C, is hidden (disappears from display screen 7a), while the character CRA in the second position, which has become the second variable icon, is displayed.

As described above, the character CRA in the second position is positioned behind the middle performance pattern 8 and in front of the background image (not shown) so as not to impede the visibility of the middle performance pattern 8C. Of course, the hold icons 9A, 9B, the variable display position 9Cd, the first hold display position 9Ad to the fourth hold display position 9Ad, and the first hold display position 9Bd to the fourth hold display position 9Bd are positioned at the front as described above, so the character CRA is positioned behind the hold icons 9A, 9B, the variable display position 9Cd, the first hold display position 9Ad to the fourth hold display position 9Ad, and the first hold display position 9Bd to the fourth hold display position 9Bd, so that visibility is not impeded by the character CRA.

In addition, when the character CRA wins in the battle performance and the enemy character CRB is defeated, the screen switches again from the battle performance screen to the screen of the change display of the performance symbols (change performance), and at the stop position, the left performance symbol 8L is temporarily displayed as the number "8" having a bright blue color, the center performance symbol 8C is temporarily displayed as the number "8" having a bright blue color, and the right performance symbol 8R is temporarily displayed as the number "8" having a bright blue color. Even if the screen switches from the battle performance screen to the screen of the change display of the performance symbols (change performance), this does not cause the character CRA in the second posture to be displayed again on the display screen 7a. After that, the left performance symbol 8L, the center performance symbol 8C, and the right performance symbol 8R are displayed as the same symbol (here, the number "8" having a bright blue color), the winning is confirmed, and the character suggestion performance C that spans multiple changes ends. After that, a winning game in which the player is given a profit will start. In FIG. 101 (F), there was one reserved icon 9B, meaning there was one reserved ball that was the target of the character suggestion effect C across multiple variations, but even after the winning game ended, the character suggestion effect C across multiple variations was not performed again for this single reserved ball.

When the reserved icon 9B displayed at the first reserved display position 9Bd moves to the variable display position 9Cd and becomes the variable icon 9C, the variable performance (variable display) of the performance pattern starts, as shown in FIG. 101 (J). When the reserved icon 9B displayed at the first reserved display position 9Bd moves to the variable display position 9Cd, a state is created in which there are no reserved icons 9B stored that have not been consumed. At this time, the reserved icon 9A is not consumed, so there are only two reserved icons 9A stored that have not been consumed. Note that, since all reserved icons 9B have been consumed, the first reserved display position 9Bd to the fourth reserved display position 9Bd may be made invisible (disappear from the display screen 7a).

When the effect pattern change effect (change display) starts, the character image PG "PUSH" arranged on an arc is placed at the front and displayed large on the display screen 7a. The character image PG "PUSH" is a three-dimensional image with an opaque color, which suggests to the player to press the effect button 63. The character image PG "PUSH" has a high expectancy of changing the character CRA's posture from the second posture to another posture in the order of white → blue → green → red → purple → yellow (golden). For this reason, the player is highly interested in the character image PG "PUSH". The effect button 63 also lights up in the color assigned to the character image PG "PUSH". In this case, the color assigned to the character image PG "PUSH" is blue, so the effect button 63 lights up in blue.

Even when the player presses the effect button 63, the posture of the character CRA displayed in the center of the display screen 7a does not change at all from the second posture to any other posture, and the character CRA in the second posture remains displayed in the center of the display screen 7a, and the character CRA continues to be displayed across multiple variations. In this way, because the posture of the character CRA that has become the second variation icon does not change, no change can be made to the variation icon 9C, which is the first variation icon, suggesting to the player that the expectation of a win for that variation is low.

After that, the character image PG "PUSH" is hidden (disappears from the display screen 7a), and the effect button 63 is turned off. At the stop position, the left effect pattern 8L is displayed as a temporary stop with the number "5" having a bright green color, the right effect pattern 8R is displayed as a temporary stop with the number "4" having a bright blue color, and the center effect pattern 8C is displayed as a temporary stop with the number "1" having a bright green color. Then, as shown in FIG. 101 (K), the left effect pattern 8L, the center effect pattern 8C, and the right effect pattern 8R do not match the same pattern and are displayed as stopped, a miss is confirmed, the first change icon 9C is hidden (disappears from the display screen 7a), and the character suggestion effect C spanning multiple changes ends. At this time, the character CRA in the second posture is displayed in the center of the display screen 7a without changing the posture of the character CRA. In other words, the first variable icon, variable icon 9C, is hidden (disappears from the display screen 7a), while the character CRA in the second posture, which has become the second variable icon, is displayed. Note that the character CRA may be hidden (disappears from the display screen 7a) when the variable ends.

The player operates the handle 60 again to release the game ball before the left performance pattern 8L, the center performance pattern 8C, and the right performance pattern 8R are stopped and displayed, but the game ball continues not to enter the first starting hole 20.

When the hold icon 9A displayed at the first hold display position 9Ad moves to the variable display position 9Cd and becomes the variable icon 9C, the variable display of the performance pattern (variable display) begins, as shown in FIG. 101 (L). When the hold icon 9A displayed at the first hold display position 9Ad moves to the variable display position 9Cd, the hold icon 9A remains in stock without being consumed. At this time, all the hold icons 9B have been consumed, so the first hold display position 9Bd to the fourth hold display position 9Bd are hidden (disappear from the display screen 7a).

When the changing performance (changing display) of the performance symbols begins and the left performance symbol 8L, the middle performance symbol 8C, and the right performance symbol 8R stop and display without lining up with the same number pattern, a miss is confirmed, whereas when the left performance symbol 8L, the middle performance symbol 8C, and the right performance symbol 8R stop and display with the same number pattern, a win is confirmed, and then the winning game begins, in which the player is awarded a profit.

In addition, in the character suggestion performance C across multiple variations, if the result of the normal pattern lottery is a win (normal pattern win), the auxiliary game that opens the second starting hole 21 is started, and a message image MG saying "Aim for it!" is displayed. At this time, together with or instead of the message image MG, the performance button 63 may emit light in a predetermined color (e.g., emit white light), or the performance button 63 may vibrate. Also, together with or instead of the message image MG, the handle 60 may emit light in a predetermined color (e.g., emit a flashing white light), or air may be sent out from the handle 60 to stimulate the palm of the player operating the handle 60.

In addition, in the character suggestion performance C across multiple variations, if the result of the normal pattern lottery is a win (normal pattern win), an auxiliary game is started to open the second start hole 21. At this time, if no game ball enters the second start hole 21, the performance shown in Figures 101 (F) to (K) is not started at all, the character CRA in the first posture displayed on the lower right side of the display screen 7a is hidden (disappears from the display screen 7a), and as shown in Figure 101 (L), when the reserved icon 9A displayed at the first reserved display position 9Ad moves to the variable display position 9Cd and becomes the variable icon 9C, the variable performance (variable display) of the performance pattern is started. In this way, in the character suggestion performance C that spans multiple variations, when the result of the normal pattern lottery is a win (normal pattern win), an auxiliary game that opens the second start hole 21 is started, and when at least one game ball enters the second start hole 21, the character CRA in the first position that was displayed on the lower right side of the display screen 7a becomes the character CRA in the second position in the center of the display screen 7a, and functions as the "second variation icon" described above.

In addition, in the character suggestion performance C spanning multiple changes, the first change icon, which corresponds to the left performance pattern 8L, the middle performance pattern 8C, and the right performance pattern 8R currently changing as the first special chart reservation is consumed, is displayed in the change display position 9Cd displayed at the center lower side of the display screen 7a of the image display device 7. However, the change icon 9C and the change display position 9Cd may not exist in the first place. In other words, a first reservation display area is provided as the first special chart reservation, and a second reservation display area is provided as the second special chart reservation, and the first reservation display area displays the above-mentioned first reservation display position 9Ad to the fourth reservation display position 9Ad in a straight line aligned along the bottom edge of the display screen 7a, and the second reservation display area displays the above-mentioned first reservation display position 9Bd to the fourth reservation display position 9Bd in a straight line aligned along the bottom edge of the display screen 7a. As a result, the character CRA in the first posture appears from the start to the end of the auxiliary game that opens the second start hole 21 (FIG. 101 (B) to (E)), and out of the reserved icon 9A stocked by the entry of the game ball into the first start hole 20 and the reserved icon 9B stocked by the entry of the game ball into the second start hole 21, the reserved icon 9B is preferentially consumed, so when the reserved icon 9B displayed at the first reserved display position 9Bd falls in a parabolic arc to the left and disappears as if popping out from the bottom edge of the display screen 7a, a variable performance (variable display) of the performance pattern is started. When the reserved icon 9B displayed at the first reserved display position 9Bd falls in a parabolic arc to the left and disappears as if popping out from the bottom edge of the display screen 7a, the reserved icon 9B displayed at the second reserved display position 9Bd moves to the first reserved display position 9Bd, and a state is created in which only one reserved icon 9B is stored without being consumed. When the performance pattern change performance (change display) starts, as shown in FIG. 101 (F), the character CRA in the second posture is displayed as a change icon in the center of the display screen 7a. This change icon character CRA is then displayed across multiple changes until all of the reserved icons 9B are consumed.

[Example of effect]
Below are some examples of the effects of character suggestion effects across multiple changes.
[Effect 1]
In the gaming machine 1 of the above embodiment, the left performance pattern 8L (identification pattern), middle performance pattern 8C (identification pattern), and right performance pattern 8R (identification pattern), which indicate the result of the lottery, are displayed statically on the image display device 7 (display device), and the image display device 7 (display device) can display a message image MG and a character CRA (multiple types of images). After displaying the character CRA (specific character image), the character CRA (specific character image) is displayed as a variable icon across multiple display variations, and the character CRA (specific character image) can execute a first performance that suggests the expected probability of a win for the variable display of the left performance pattern 8L (identification pattern), middle performance pattern 8C (identification pattern), and right performance pattern 8R (identification pattern) for each variable display (Figures 99 (A) to (K) for character suggestion performance A across multiple variations, Figures 100 (A) to (K) for character suggestion performance B across multiple variations, and Figures 101 (B) to (K) for character suggestion performance C across multiple variations). According to this configuration, after the character CRA (specific character image) is displayed, the character CRA (specific character image) becomes a variable icon, and the character CRA (specific character image) that has become a variable icon is displayed across multiple display variations, and the degree of expectation of a hit for the variable display of the left performance pattern 8L (identification pattern), the center performance pattern 8C (identification pattern), and the right performance pattern 8R (identification pattern) for each variable display can be suggested, so that when the character CRA (specific character image) is displayed, a provocative performance that it may change to a variable icon can be performed, and further, when the character CRA (specific character image) becomes a variable icon, it is displayed across multiple display variations to suggest the degree of expectation of a hit for the variable display of the left performance pattern 8L (identification pattern), the center performance pattern 8C (identification pattern), and the right performance pattern 8R (identification pattern) for each variable display, and an unprecedented and novel performance can be provided to the player. Therefore, it is possible to improve the interest.

[Effect 2]
In the gaming machine 1 of the above embodiment, in the first performance of the character suggestion performance A across multiple variations in FIG. 99, the character suggestion performance B across multiple variations in FIG. 100, and the character suggestion performance C across multiple variations in FIG. 101, the character CRA (specific character image) is displayed in a first posture on the lower left side (first position) of the display screen 7a or the lower right side (first position) of the display screen 7a, and then the character CRA (specific character image) is moved to the center of the display screen 7a (a second position different from the first position) and changed to a second posture different from the first posture to become a variable icon. According to this configuration, the character CRA (specific character image) moves from the first position to the second position, and further, the posture of the character CRA (specific character image) is changed from the first posture to the second posture to become a variable icon, so that the timing when the character CRA (specific character image) becomes a variable icon can be easily conveyed to the player.

[Effect 3]
In the gaming machine 1 of the above embodiment, in the first performance of the character suggestion performance A across multiple variations in Fig. 99, the character suggestion performance B across multiple variations in Fig. 100, and the character suggestion performance C across multiple variations in Fig. 101, the size of the character CRA (specific character image) in the second posture in the center (second position) of the display screen 7a can be made larger than the size of the character CRA (specific character image) in the first posture in the lower left side (first position) of the display screen 7a or the lower right side (first position) of the display screen 7a. With this configuration, the player's line of sight is guided to the character CRA (specific character image), and the timing when the character CRA (specific character image) becomes a variable icon can be more easily conveyed to the player.

[Effect 4]
In the gaming machine 1 of the above embodiment, in the first performance of the character suggestion performance A across multiple changes in Fig. 99 and the character suggestion performance B across multiple changes in Fig. 100, it is possible to display the change of reserved balls that have not yet started to be displayed immediately before the character CRA (specific character image) is displayed. In the character suggestion performance A across multiple changes in Fig. 99, the change is displayed for the reserved number of balls for the first starting port 20: 3 balls, and in the character suggestion performance B across multiple changes in Fig. 100, the change is displayed for the reserved number of balls for the first starting port 20: 4 balls and the reserved number of balls for the second starting port 21: 4 balls, totaling 8 balls. According to this configuration, if the character CRA (specific character image) does not become a variable icon, the player loses the opportunity to know the expected probability of winning for the variable display of the left performance pattern 8L (distinguishing pattern), the center performance pattern 8C (distinguishing pattern), and the right performance pattern 8R (distinguishing pattern) for each variable display, and therefore the player will continue playing by stocking up on reserved balls to try to get an opportunity for a character suggestive performance across multiple variations, so that the game ball will enter the first start hole 20 or the second start hole 21. This can encourage the player to operate the handle 60.

[Effect 5]
In the gaming machine 1 of the above embodiment, in the first performance in the character suggestion performance C across multiple variations in Fig. 101, after the character CRA (specific character image) is displayed, a new reserved ball for which the display of the change has not yet started can be displayed by the time the opening time (predetermined time) from the start of the auxiliary game to open the second starting hole 21 to its end has elapsed. In the character suggestion performance C across multiple variations in Fig. 101, the display is displayed for the number of reserved balls for the second starting hole 21, which is 2 balls, due to the start of the auxiliary game to open the second starting hole 21. According to this configuration, if the character CRA (specific character image) does not become a variable icon, the player loses the opportunity to know the expected probability of winning for the variable display of the left performance pattern 8L (distinguishing pattern), the center performance pattern 8C (distinguishing pattern), and the right performance pattern 8R (distinguishing pattern) for each variable display, and therefore the player continues playing in an attempt to stockpile reserved balls and get a chance for a character suggestive performance spanning multiple variations before the opening time (predetermined time) has elapsed, so that the game ball will enter the second starting hole 21. This makes it possible to encourage the player to operate the handle 60 when the auxiliary game that opens the second starting hole 21 is started.

[Effect 6]
In the gaming machine 1 of the above embodiment, it is possible to execute a second performance in which the character CRA (specific character image) is changed to a third posture different from the first and second postures at the center (second position) of the display screen 7a (Figure 99 (F) for character suggestion performance A across multiple changes, and Figure 100 (F) for character suggestion performance B across multiple changes). With this configuration, the posture of the character CRA (specific character image) changes from the first posture to the second posture, and then from the second posture to the third posture, thereby increasing the variety of performances, and it is also possible to make the player believe that the change from the second posture to the third posture increases the expectation of a hit for that change, thereby exciting the player.

[Effect 7]
In the gaming machine 1 of the above embodiment, after the second performance in the character suggestion performance A spanning multiple changes in Figure 99, the character suggestion performance B spanning multiple changes in Figure 100, or the character suggestion performance C spanning multiple changes in Figure 101, when a reach is formed by the left performance pattern 8L (identification pattern), the middle performance pattern 8C (identification pattern), and the right performance pattern 8R (identification pattern), it is possible to execute a third performance in which the expected probability of a hit is preset high (Figure 99 (H) for character suggestion performance A spanning multiple changes, Figure 100 (H) for character suggestion performance B spanning multiple changes, and Figure 101 (H) for character suggestion performance C spanning multiple changes). According to this configuration, after the posture of the character CRA (specific character image) changes from a first posture to a second posture, it further changes from the second posture to a third posture, and then, when a reach is formed, a third performance in which the expected probability of a win is preset high is executed, so that when a character suggestion performance spanning multiple changes is performed, this can serve as an opportunity to give the player a sense of expectation that a reach may be formed, and a sense of expectation of a win when a reach is formed.

[Modification]
Below, we will show some modified examples of character suggestion effects that span multiple changes.
[Modification 1]
In the character suggestion performance A across multiple changes in Fig. 99, the character suggestion performance B across multiple changes in Fig. 100, and the character suggestion performance C across multiple changes in Fig. 101, when a reach is formed, the character CRA is not displayed (disappears from the display screen 7a). However, the character CRA may continue to be displayed, and may move in a manner that leads to the character CRA in the battle performance to fight the enemy character CRB.

[Modification 2]
In the character suggestion performance A across multiple variations in FIG. 99, the character suggestion performance B across multiple variations in FIG. 100, and the character suggestion performance C across multiple variations in FIG. 101, when the character CRA in the second posture is displayed in the center of the display screen 7a, the expected hit rate for the corresponding posture is suggested to the player by the change in posture of the character CRA or the enlargement of a part of the character CRA, and the like. When the posture of the character CRA changes or a part of the character CRA is enlarged, a sound effect may be output (played) from the speaker 67. Examples of the sound effect include "thud", "swoosh", "clack", "corn", and "whoosh". Also, the voice of the character CRA may be output (played) from the speaker 67. Examples of the voice of the character CRA include "The battle begins", "Leave it to me", "Concentrate", "Peace", "My sword is", and the like.

[Modification 3]
In the character suggestion performance A across multiple variations in FIG. 99, the character suggestion performance B across multiple variations in FIG. 100, and the character suggestion performance C across multiple variations in FIG. 101, the character CRA in the second posture was displayed in the center of the display screen 7a. At this time, the character CRA in the second posture that has become a specific color may be displayed in the center of the display screen 7a. For example, when the character CRA in the second posture that has become yellow (gold) as the specific color is displayed in the center of the display screen 7a, it can suggest to the player that it is likely to win. In this case, when the character suggestion performance across multiple variations is started, for example, the character CRA in the second posture shown in FIG. 99(C), FIG. 100(C), and FIG. 101(F) is displayed in a normal color, and then, when the variation is likely to win, the color is switched from the normal color to a specific color and the character CRA in the second posture is displayed.

[Modification 4]
In the character suggestion performance A across multiple variations in FIG. 99, the character suggestion performance B across multiple variations in FIG. 100, and the character suggestion performance C across multiple variations in FIG. 101, when a reach is formed, the character CRA is not displayed (disappeared from the display screen 7a). At this time, the second movable role 15 may move (advance) downward from a retreat position at the top of the image display device 7 toward the center of the display screen 7a of the image display device 7, and then stop at an advance position in front of the display screen 7a for a predetermined time (for example, 5 seconds), and then return to the retreat position again. In this way, the sense of loss caused by the character CRA being not displayed can be compensated for by the appearance of the second movable role 15. Note that the movable role such as the second movable role 15 suggests to the player that the expectation of winning is higher than when the movable role is not operated, so the player is highly interested in the operation of the movable role such as the second movable role 15.

[Modification 5]
In the character suggestion performance A across multiple variations in FIG. 99, the character suggestion performance B across multiple variations in FIG. 100, and the character suggestion performance C across multiple variations in FIG. 101, when the character suggestion performance across multiple variations is started and ended for the reserved ball that is the target of the character suggestion performance across multiple variations, the character CRA is not displayed (disappears from the display screen 7a), and the player may feel a sense of loss of the character CRA. Therefore, the probability of selecting a performance in which the second movable role 15 moves (advances) downward from a retreat position above the image display device 7 toward the center of the display screen 7a of the image display device 7 and stops at an advance position in front of the display screen 7a for a predetermined number of variations (for example, 4 times) after the character suggestion performance across multiple variations ends, and then returns to the retreat position again may be set to a high probability. The movable parts such as the second movable part 15 suggest to the player that the expectation of winning is higher than when the movable part is not activated, so the player is highly interested in the operation of the movable parts such as the second movable part 15. In this way, the second movable part 15 has a high chance of being activated over a predetermined number of variations (for example, four times) after the character suggestion performance spanning multiple variations ends, so that the sense of loss caused by the character CRA being hidden can be compensated for by the operation of the second movable part 15. Note that other movable parts may be activated instead of the second movable part 15. Even in this way, the sense of loss caused by the character CRA being hidden can be compensated for by the operation of the other movable part 15.

[Modification 6]
In the character suggestion performance A across multiple changes in FIG. 99, the character suggestion performance B across multiple changes in FIG. 100, and the character suggestion performance C across multiple changes in FIG. 101, the character CRA in the second posture is displayed in the center of the display screen 7a, and when the posture of the character CRA is not changed from the second posture to another posture, the posture of the character CRA is simply maintained in the second posture. However, the display mode of the character CRA in the second posture may include a display mode in which the character CRA trembles or holds its breath and strains to change from the second posture to another posture, regardless of whether the posture of the character CRA changes from the second posture to another posture. In this way, it is possible to more easily convey to the player the state in which the character CRA is about to change from the second posture to another posture.

[Modification 7]
In the character suggestion performance A across multiple variations in FIG. 99, the character suggestion performance B across multiple variations in FIG. 100, and the character suggestion performance C across multiple variations in FIG. 101, the background image in the variation performance (variation display) of the performance pattern is a city image of the normal background image. However, at the timing when the character CRA in the second posture is displayed in the center of the display screen 7a, it may be switched to a background image dedicated to the character suggestion performance across multiple variations. The background image dedicated to the character suggestion performance across multiple variations is not included in the normal background image and is not included in the background image for the battle performance, and is a dedicated background image that is displayed only when the character suggestion performance across multiple variations is performed. The background image dedicated to the character suggestion performance across multiple variations is a still image or a moving image that is gradated in a predetermined color system (for example, a red system, a blue system, a yellow system, etc.) as it spreads radially from the center of the display area 7a, or a still image or a moving image that is gradated in a predetermined color system (for example, a red system, a blue system, a yellow system, etc.) as it proceeds up and down from the horizontal line passing through the center of the display area 7a. In addition, when the character suggestion effect spanning multiple changes ends, the background image dedicated to the character suggestion effect spanning multiple changes switches back to the normal background image.

[Modification 8]
Character suggestion performance A spanning multiple changes in Figure 99, character suggestion performance B spanning multiple changes in Figure 100, and character suggestion performance C spanning multiple changes in Figure 101 may not include some of the performances described above, or other performances may be added.

[Example of embodiment]
In the gaming machine of this embodiment, the following aspects can be realized.
◇ [Aspect B6-1]
A gaming machine that displays a randomly displayed identification symbol indicating the result of a lottery on a display device, and then stops and displays the identification symbol,
The display device is capable of displaying a plurality of types of images;
After displaying a specific character image, the specific character image is displayed as a variable icon across a plurality of display variations, and a first performance can be executed in which the specific character image indicates an expectation of a win for each variable display of the identification pattern.
A gaming machine characterized by:

◇ [Aspect B6-2]
The gaming machine according to aspect B6-1,
In the first performance, the specific character image is displayed in a first posture at a first position, and then the specific character image is moved to a second position different from the first position and changed to a second posture different from the first posture to become the variable icon.
A gaming machine characterized by:

◇ [Aspect B6-3]
The gaming machine according to aspect B6-2,
In the first performance, a size of the specific character image in the second posture at the second position is made larger than a size of the specific character image in the first posture at the first position.
A gaming machine characterized by:

◇ [Aspect B6-4]
A gaming machine according to any one of Aspects B6-1 to B6-3,
In the first performance, a variable display is performed on a reserved ball whose variable display has not yet started immediately before the specific character image is displayed.
A gaming machine characterized by:

Aspect B6-5
A gaming machine according to any one of Aspects B6-1 to B6-3,
In the first performance, a variable display is performed on a reserved ball that has not yet started to be changed until a predetermined time has elapsed since the specific character image was displayed.
A gaming machine characterized by:

◇[Aspect B6-6]
A gaming machine according to any one of Aspects B6-1 to B6-5,
executing a second performance in which the specific character image is changed at the second position to a third posture different from the first posture and the second posture;
A gaming machine characterized by:

Aspect B6-7
The gaming machine according to aspect B6-6,
When a reach is formed by the identification symbol after the second performance, a third performance in which a probability of winning is set high in advance is executed.
A gaming machine characterized by:

The melody-related effects are explained below with reference to Figures 102 to 104. These melody-related effects are executed during the decorative pattern variation effect, etc. That is, the sub-control board 90 analyzes the command received from the main control board 80, and if the command contains an instruction to execute a melody-related effect, it reads out the corresponding audio data from the sub-ROM 93 and outputs sound from the speaker 67 via the audio control board 107. Also, the image control microcomputer 101 analyzes the command received from the sub-control board 90, and if the command contains an instruction to execute a melody-related effect, it reads out the corresponding image data from the ROM 103 and displays an image on the display screen 7a of the image display device 7 and on the sub-display screen 64 (right sub-display screen 64R, left sub-display screen 64L, and upper sub-display screen 64U).

Figure 102 is a first diagram for explaining the melody-related effects. Figure 103 is a second diagram for explaining the melody-related effects. Figure 104 is a third diagram for explaining the melody-related effects. The melody-related effects are effects in which a specific melody starts when the pattern starts to change, and ends when the pattern stops after the pattern changes.

The gaming machine 1 reads out the corresponding sound data from the sub ROM 93 and outputs sound from the speaker 67 via the sound control board 107. The sub ROM 93 stores X melody data, Xf melody data, Xd melody data, and Y melody data as sound data. The X melody data is data that causes the speaker 67 to output the X melody. The X melody is a series of sounds with a predetermined pitch and duration that proceed (are played) in a continuous rhythm, and the performance is completed in a predetermined performance period. As shown in FIG. 102, the X melody includes four parts (measures): part A, part B, part C, and part D. The gaming machine 1 can repeatedly generate the X melody.

The Xf melody data is data that causes the speaker 67 to output the Xf melody. The Xf melody is an X melody with a faster tempo. Therefore, the period until the performance of the Xf melody is completed (performance period) is shorter than that of the X melody. As shown in FIG. 102, the Xf melody includes four parts (measures): an Af part, a Bf part, a Cf part, and a Df part. The Af part is an A part with a faster tempo, the Bf part is an B part with a faster tempo, the Cf part is an C part with a faster tempo, and the Df part is an D part with a faster tempo. The gaming machine 1 can repeatedly generate the Xf melody.

The Xd melody data is data that causes the speaker 67 to output the Xd melody. The Xd melody is a variation of the X melody. Here, the tone (scale) is higher than the X melody. The Xd melody has the same period (performance period) until performance is completed as the X melody. As shown in FIG. 103, the Xd melody includes four parts (measures): an Ad part, a Bd part, a Cd part, and a Dd part. The Ad part is a higher scale version of the A part, the Bd part is a higher scale version of the B part, the Cd part is a higher scale version of the C part, and the Dd part is a higher scale version of the D part. The gaming machine 1 can repeatedly generate the Xd melody.

The Y melody data is data that causes the speaker 67 to output the Y melody. As shown in FIG. 103, the Y melody has contents unrelated to the X melody, and the performance period is also different from that of the X melody. Here, the performance period of the Y melody is longer than the performance period of the X melody. The gaming machine 1 can repeatedly generate the Y melody.

As shown in Figures 93 to 95, the gaming machine 1 allows the player to select from a number of presentation modes with different background images, music, etc. during the normal state variable presentation. The presentation mode is switched by the player operating the select button 68. The gaming machine 1 is set with a "battle presentation mode", a "dark presentation mode", and a "happy presentation mode", and one of these presentation modes is executed. In the "battle presentation mode", an image of an enemy character fighting an ally character is displayed. In the "dark presentation mode", a dark background is displayed. In the "happy presentation mode", a heart background image is displayed.

The decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2 are a set of patterns including a left decorative pattern 8L2, a middle decorative pattern 8C2, and a right decorative pattern 8R2 displayed in the center of the display screen 7a. The variable display of the set of patterns represents the variable display of the special pattern (special pattern variation), and the stationary display of the set of patterns notifies the result of the special pattern lottery. The special pattern here may be either the first special pattern or the second special pattern. In FIG. 93(A), the decorative patterns 8L2, 8C2, and 8R2 are each displayed in a variable manner in response to the current special pattern variation (the variation in question). The performance mode suggestion image is displayed in the upper left of the display screen 7a and suggests the currently selected performance mode. Here, since the "battle performance mode" is selected, the text image of "battle performance mode" is displayed inside the rectangular image.

As described above, in the gaming machine 1, at the start of the variation, in steps S1403 and 1409 of the special symbol waiting process (FIG. 22), the variation pattern to be executed is selected by referring to the variation pattern determination table T6 (FIGS. 10 and 11) (FIGS. 24 and 25). When a specific variation pattern (herein referred to as "variation pattern 1") is selected from the variation pattern determination table T6, as shown in FIG. 102, the X melody starts with the start of the variation of the special symbol, and after the variation of the symbol, the symbol stops and the X melody ends. That is, the start and stop of the special symbol variation are configured to match the start and stop of the X melody. Here, the performance period of the X melody and the variation period of the special symbol variation are configured to match. Note that here, "match" means roughly matched, and also includes a slight time shift (for example, about 2 seconds). Here, the start and stop of the special symbol variation match the start and stop of the decorative symbol variation, so that the start and stop of the X melody also match the start and stop of the decorative symbol variation. In addition, a silent part may be included at the start and end of the X melody. Here, "variation pattern 1" is the variation pattern selected in normal conditions (Figure 10).

When a variation pattern different from variation pattern 1 (herein referred to as "variation pattern 2") is selected from the variation pattern determination table T6, as shown in FIG. 102, the X melody starts with the start of the variation of the special pattern, the X melody of the first day ends during the variation, the second X melody starts, and after the variation of the pattern, the pattern stops and the second X melody ends. That is, even in this case, the start and stop of the special pattern variation are configured to match the start and stop of the X melody. Here, the performance period of two X melodies and the variation period of the special pattern variation are configured to match. Note that here, "match" means roughly match, and also includes a slight time shift (for example, about 2 seconds). Here, the start and stop of the special pattern variation matches the start and stop of the decorative pattern variation, so the start and stop of the X melody also match the start and stop of the decorative pattern variation. In addition, a silent portion may be included at the start and end of the X melody. Here, "variation pattern 2" is a variation pattern longer than "variation pattern 1" and is selected in the normal state (FIG. 11).

When a variation pattern different from variation patterns 1 and 2 (herein referred to as "variation pattern 3") is selected from the variation pattern determination table T6, as shown in FIG. 102, the Xf melody starts with the start of the variation of the special pattern, and after the pattern changes, the pattern stops and the Xf melody ends. That is, the start and end of the special pattern variation are configured to coincide with the start and end of the Xf melody. Here, the performance period of the Xf melody and the variation period of the special pattern variation are configured to coincide. Note that here, "coincide" means roughly coincident, and also includes a slight time shift (for example, about 2 seconds). Here, the start and end of the special pattern variation coincides with the start and end of the decorative pattern variation, so the start and end of the Xf melody also coincide with the start and end of the decorative pattern variation. In addition, a silent portion may be included at the start and end of the Xf melody. Here, "variation pattern 3" is the variation pattern selected during the time-saving state (FIG. 11).

When a variation pattern different from the variation patterns 1 to 3 (herein referred to as "variation pattern 4") is selected from the variation pattern determination table T6, as shown in FIG. 102, the Xf melody starts with the start of the variation of the special pattern, the Xf melody of the first day ends during the variation, the second Xf melody starts, and after the variation of the pattern, the pattern stops and the second Xf melody ends. That is, even in this case, the start and stop of the special pattern variation are configured to coincide with the start and stop of the Xf melody. Here, the performance period of two Xf melodies and the variation period of the special pattern variation are configured to coincide. Note that "match" here means roughly match, and also includes a slight time shift (for example, about 2 seconds).
Here, the start and end of the special pattern coincides with the start and end of the decorative pattern, so the start and end of the Xf melody also coincides with the start and end of the decorative pattern. Also, the start and end of the Xf melody may include a silent part. Here, "variation pattern 4" is the variation pattern selected during the time-saving state (FIG. 11).

As mentioned above, the change and stop of the special symbol coincides with the change and stop of the decorative symbol, so the display screen 7a may stop the decorative symbol when the first X melody that started when the decorative symbol started to change ends (change pattern 1), or may continue the change of the decorative symbol when the first X melody that started when the decorative symbol started to change ends, and stop the decorative symbol when the second or subsequent X melody ends (change pattern 2).

In addition, the selection ratio between the case where the decorative pattern is stopped when the first X melody ends (variation pattern 1) and the case where the decorative pattern is stopped when the second or subsequent X melody ends (variation pattern 2) may be changed depending on the number of reserved balls at the start of the variation. For example, the variation pattern table T6 (FIG. 10) in the non-time-saving state may be changed to the following content. The "variation pattern P15" in FIG. 10 is set to the above "variation pattern 2", and the "variation patterns P8 to P16" in FIG. 10 are set to the above "variation pattern 1". As a result, when the number of reserved balls is 1 to 2, the selection rate of the variation pattern 2 is 100%, the selection rate of the variation pattern 1 is 0%, and the variation time of the no-reach miss is always the same length as the playing period of two X melodies. On the other hand, when the number of reserved balls is 3 to 4, the selection rate of the variation pattern 2 is 0%, the selection rate of the variation pattern 1 is 100%, and the variation time of the no-reach miss is always the same length as the playing period of one X melody.

The fluctuation pattern table T6 (FIG. 10) in the non-time-saving state may be changed to the following contents. "Fluctuation pattern P7" in FIG. 10 is set to the above-mentioned "Fluctuation pattern 1", and "Fluctuation patterns P8-P10" in FIG. 10 are all set to the above-mentioned "Fluctuation pattern 2". Also, "Fluctuation patterns P11-P13" in FIG. 10 are all set to the above-mentioned "Fluctuation pattern 1", and "Fluctuation pattern P14" in FIG. 10 is set to the above-mentioned "Fluctuation pattern 2". As a result, when the number of reserved items is 1-2, the selection rate of fluctuation pattern 1 is about 48%, and the selection rate of fluctuation pattern 2 is about 52%. On the other hand, when the number of reserved items is 3-4, the selection rate of fluctuation pattern 1 is about 86%, and the selection rate of fluctuation pattern 2 is about 14%.

Furthermore, the tempo of the X melody may be changed according to the number of reserved balls at the start of the change. That is, the selection ratio between the case where the normal tempo X melody and the change time are made to match (change pattern 1) and the case where the fast tempo Xf melody and the change time are made to match (change pattern 3) may be changed according to the number of reserved balls at the start of the change. For example, the change pattern table T6 (FIG. 10) in the non-time-saving state may be changed to the following content. The "change pattern P15" in FIG. 10 is set to the above "change pattern 1", and the "change patterns P8 to P16" in FIG. 10 are set to the above "change pattern 3". As a result, when the number of reserved balls is 1 to 2, the selection rate of the change pattern 1 is 100%, the selection rate of the change pattern 3 is 0%, and the change time of the no-reach miss is always the same length as the performance period of the X melody. On the other hand, when the number of reserved balls is 3 to 4, the selection rate of the change pattern 1 is 0%, the selection rate of the change pattern 3 is 100%, and the change time of the no-reach miss is always the same length as the performance period of the Xf melody.

The fluctuation pattern table T6 (FIG. 10) in the non-time-saving state may be changed to the following contents. "Fluctuation pattern P7" in FIG. 10 is set to the above-mentioned "Fluctuation pattern 3", and "Fluctuation patterns P8-P10" in FIG. 10 are all set to the above-mentioned "Fluctuation pattern 1". Also, "Fluctuation patterns P11-P13" in FIG. 10 are all set to the above-mentioned "Fluctuation pattern 3", and "Fluctuation pattern P14" in FIG. 10 is set to the above-mentioned "Fluctuation pattern 1". As a result, when the number of reserved items is 1-2, the selection rate of fluctuation pattern 3 is about 48%, and the selection rate of fluctuation pattern 1 is about 52%. On the other hand, when the number of reserved items is 3-4, the selection rate of fluctuation pattern 3 is about 86%, and the selection rate of fluctuation pattern 1 is about 14%.

As shown in FIG. 103, the gaming machine 1 allows selection of multiple presentation modes with different background images, music, etc., during normal variation presentation. When "Variation Pattern 1" is selected while "Battle Presentation Mode" is selected, the X melody starts as the special symbol starts to vary, and the X melody ends as the symbol stops after the symbol varies. When "Variation Pattern 1" is selected while "Dark Presentation Mode" is selected, the Xd melody starts as the special symbol starts to vary, and the Xd melody ends as the symbol stops after the symbol varies. When "Variation Pattern 1" is selected while "Happy Presentation Mode" is selected, the Y melody is played regardless of the timing of the start and stop of the special symbol variation. The Y melody is played in the background from the time the gaming machine 1 is turned on, so variation may start in the middle of the Y melody. Also, variation may stop in the middle of the Y melody.

Figure 104 shows an example of a melody-related effect. Here, an example is shown in which the player switches the effect mode from "battle effect mode" to "dark effect mode", "happy effect mode", and then back to "battle effect mode" during special chart fluctuation. In "battle effect mode", there is no sound before the fluctuation begins. When the special chart fluctuation begins, part A of the X melody plays (is output). If part A ends and the effect mode is switched to "dark effect mode" while part B is playing, part Bd starts from the part after part B that was produced. In this way, the same melody continues even when the effect mode is switched, but the melody changes, so the player can recognize the change in effect mode without feeling uncomfortable.

After that, when the Bd part ends and the Cd part is playing and the presentation mode is switched to "happy presentation mode", it will switch to the Y melody that is playing in the background. This allows you to enjoy background music that is unrelated to the start and stop of the fluctuation. After that, when the presentation mode is switched to "battle presentation mode" while the Y melody is playing, it will start from the point that corresponds to the fluctuation time (in this case, halfway through the D part). Then, the X melody ends as the special chart stops.

[Example of effect]
Below are some examples of melody-related effects.
[Effect 1]
In the gaming machine 1 of the above embodiment, as shown in Figures 102 to 104, an effect can be executed in which the X melody starts when the special symbols start to vary, and the symbols stop after the special symbols vary, and the X melody ends. With this configuration, a novel effect that has never been seen before can entertain the player visually and aurally, and can increase the interest.
[Effect 2]
In the gaming machine 1 of the above embodiment, as shown in Figures 102 to 104, the speaker 67 can repeatedly generate the X melody, and the display screen 7a can stop the decorative symbols when the first X melody that started with the start of the decorative symbols ends (variation pattern 1), or continue the decorative symbols when the first X melody that started with the start of the decorative symbols ends, and stop the decorative symbols when the second or subsequent X melodies end (variation pattern 2). With this configuration, the player can be visually and aurally entertained by a novel presentation that has never been seen before, and the interest can be improved.
[Effect 3]
The gaming machine 1 of the above embodiment is provided with a main RAM 84 (FIG. 5) that stores the reserved number, which is the number of reserved winning lotteries, and the display screen 7a changes the ratio of the case where the decorative symbols are stopped when the first X melody ends and the case where the decorative symbols are stopped when the second or subsequent X melody ends, according to the reserved number stored in the main RAM 84. With this configuration, the player can be visually and aurally entertained by an unprecedented and novel presentation, and the interest can be increased.
[Effect 4]
The gaming machine 1 of the above embodiment is provided with a main RAM 84 (FIG. 5) that stores the reserved number, which is the number of reserved winning lotteries, and the speaker 67 changes the tempo of the X melody (changes the selection ratio of variation pattern 1 and variation pattern 3) according to the reserved number stored in the main RAM 84 (FIG. 5). With this configuration, it is possible to entertain the player visually and aurally with a novel presentation that has never been seen before, and to increase the interest.
[Effect 5]
As shown in Figures 102 to 104, the gaming machine 1 of the above embodiment is provided with a display screen 7a that displays an image corresponding to a currently selected presentation mode among a plurality of switchable presentation modes, and the speaker 67 changes the melody of the X melody in accordance with the currently selected presentation mode. With this configuration, the player can be visually and aurally entertained by a novel presentation that has never been seen before, and the interest of the player can be increased.
[Effect 6]
In the gaming machine 1 of the above embodiment, when the currently selected presentation mode is the happy presentation mode, the speaker 67 generates a Y melody different from the X melody, and when the currently selected presentation mode is the happy presentation mode, the display screen 7a starts and stops the variation of the decorative symbols regardless of the start and end of the Y melody. With this configuration, the player can be visually and aurally entertained by an unprecedented and novel presentation, and the interest can be increased.

[Modification]
Below, variations of melody-related effects are shown.
[Modification 1]
In the above embodiment, the melody-related effect is an effect in which a specific melody starts when the special symbol starts to change and ends when the symbol stops. However, the melody-related effect may start when the normal symbol starts to change and end when the normal symbol stops.

[Modification 2]
In the above embodiment, the start and stop of the special symbol coincides with the start and stop of the decorative symbol. However, the start and stop of the special symbol does not have to coincide with the start and stop of the decorative symbol. In this case, the start and stop of the X melody may coincide with the start and stop of the special symbol or the start and stop of the decorative symbol.

[Modification 3]
In the above embodiment, the start and end of the X melody coincide with the start and end of the change of the decorative pattern. The change may be stopped for a certain period or may be stopped temporarily. That is, the timing when the X melody ends may coincide with the timing when the decorative pattern is stopped for a certain period or may be stopped temporarily.

[Modification 4]
In the above embodiment, the variation pattern 2 is set so that the playing period of the X melody twice and the variation period of the special chart variation coincide with each other. In addition, a variation pattern may be set so that the playing period of the X melody three times or more and the variation period of the special chart variation coincide with each other.

[Modification 5]
Depending on the game state (non-time-saving state, time-saving state), start port (first start port, second start port), win/lose, presence/absence of reach, and number of reserved balls, multiple of the variation patterns 1 to 4 may be selected at a predetermined ratio, or one of the variation patterns 1 to 4 may always be selected.

[Example of embodiment]
In the gaming machine of this embodiment, the following aspects can be realized.
◇[Aspect B8-1]
A symbol display means capable of displaying the variation and stoppage of symbols;
A gaming machine including a sound generating means capable of generating a specific melody,
The specific melody starts with the start of the variation of the pattern, and the specific melody ends with the pattern stopping after the variation of the pattern.
A gaming machine characterized by:
◇[Aspect B8-2]
The gaming machine according to aspect B8-1,
said sound generating means being capable of repeatedly generating said specific melody;
The symbol display means may stop the symbol when the first specific melody that started with the start of the symbol variation ends, or may continue the symbol variation when the first specific melody that started with the start of the symbol variation ends, and may stop the symbol when the second or subsequent specific melody ends.
A gaming machine characterized by:
◇[Aspect B8-3]
The gaming machine according to aspect B8-2, further comprising:
A storage means for storing a reserved number which is the number of reserved winning lotteries is provided,
the symbol display means changes a ratio between a case where the symbol is stopped when the first specific melody ends and a case where the symbol is stopped when the second or subsequent specific melody ends, according to the reserved number stored in the storage means;
A gaming machine characterized by:
◇[Aspect B8-4]
The gaming machine according to aspect B8-2,
A storage means for storing a reserved number which is the number of reserved winning lotteries is provided,
The sound generating means changes a tempo of the specific melody in accordance with the number of reserved sounds stored in the storage means.
A gaming machine characterized by:
◇[Aspect B8-5]
A gaming machine according to any one of Aspects B8-1 to B8-4, further comprising:
a display means for displaying an image corresponding to a currently selected rendering mode among a plurality of switchable rendering modes;
the sound generating means changes the tone of the specific melody in accordance with a currently selected performance mode;
A gaming machine characterized by:
◇[Aspect B8-6]
The gaming machine according to aspect B8-5,
the sound generating means generates a melody different from the specific melody when the currently selected presentation mode is a specific presentation mode;
said symbol display means, when a currently selected presentation mode is said specific presentation mode, starts and stops the variation of said symbols regardless of the start and end of said other melody;
A gaming machine characterized by:

[Other Modifications]
The various display effects described above may not include some of the effects, or may include effects other than those described above.

The gaming machine 1 in the above embodiment has been described using a pachinko gaming machine as an example, but is not limited to this. For example, instead of a pachinko gaming machine, the present invention may be applied to a reel-type gaming machine such as a slot machine, an arrange ball gaming machine, or a mahjong ball gaming machine. When the gaming machine 1 is a slot machine, the gaming medium can be changed from gaming balls to gaming medals.

In the gaming machine 1 of the above embodiment, the operation units operated by the player are provided with the effect button 63, the sword member 65, and the select button 68, but are not limited to these, and the operation units operated by the player may also be levers, triggers, etc. Also, in the display performance of the gaming machine 1 of the above embodiment, the display performance may be executed using a button image representing the effect button 63, but instead, the display performance may be executed using an image representing the sword member 65, or the display performance may be executed using an image representing a lever or trigger.

The gaming machine 1 in the above embodiment is a gaming machine equipped with a payout device for paying out balls, but is not limited to this. For example, instead of the gaming machine 1, the present invention may be applied to a gaming machine that does not have a payout device, such as a so-called enclosed gaming machine.

The gaming machine 1 of the above embodiment is configured to execute various effects using the display devices (main display screen 7a, sub display screen 64, etc.). In the gaming machine 1 of the present embodiment, these effects may be combined with each other to form one display effect. In other words, two or more of the above-mentioned multiple effect examples and/or modified examples may be combined.
Furthermore, the gaming machine 1 is equipped with a sub-display screen 64 in addition to the image display device 7 (main display screen 7a), and the display effects performed on the main display screen 7a may be performed on the sub-display screen 64, and the display effects performed on the sub-display screen 64 may be performed on the main display screen 7a.

Although the present aspect has been described above based on the embodiment and modified examples, the above-mentioned embodiment of the aspect is intended to facilitate understanding of the present aspect and does not limit the present aspect. The present aspect may be modified or improved without departing from the spirit and scope of the claims, and equivalents thereof are included in the present aspect.

1: gaming machine 3: playing area 5: board lamp 7: image display device 9A, 9B: reserved image (reserved icon)
9C…Relevant hold image (hold icon)
14 ... First movable part 15 ... Second movable part 17 ... Big prize opening start hole 20 ... First start hole (first ball entry hole)
21…Second starting hole (second ball entry hole)
64: Sub-display screen 69: Movable frame accessory 66: Frame lamp 81: Game control microcomputer 91: Performance control microcomputer 101: Image control microcomputer

Claims (1)

A symbol display means capable of displaying the variation and stoppage of symbols;
a sound generating means capable of generating a specific melody;
A display means for displaying an image corresponding to a currently selected rendering mode among a plurality of switchable rendering modes;
A gaming machine comprising:
The specific melody starts when the pattern starts to change, and the specific melody ends when the pattern stops after the pattern changes.
said sound generating means being capable of repeatedly generating said specific melody;
The symbol display means may stop the symbol when the first specific melody that started with the start of the symbol variation ends, or may continue the variation of the symbol when the first specific melody that started with the start of the symbol variation ends and stop the symbol when the second or subsequent specific melody ends,
a sound output from the start to the end of the second or subsequent times of the specific melody is the same as a sound output from the start to the end of the first time of the specific melody,
the sound generating means is further capable of changing the melody of the specific melody in accordance with a currently selected presentation mode, and generating a melody different from the specific melody when the currently selected presentation mode is a specific presentation mode;
said symbol display means, when a currently selected presentation mode is said specific presentation mode, starts and stops the variation of said symbols regardless of the start and end of said other melody;
A gaming machine characterized by:

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